This week we are taking a break from all of the hedonistic indulgences of the past month. I think we are both desiring to eat a bit lighter and healthier. I am craving salad. Yes I am. And we still have Christmas Cake. Its a good thing it is an excellent keeper.
Today I decided to cook us some Sea Bass. Sea Bass is not a fish that I had ever heard of when I was a child, but it is a fish that people really enjoy eating these days. Its a common name which is used to describe a variety of fish, but here in the UK, all sea bass that is sold is exclusively European Bass. I sourced mine from Seafresh, the online fish monger. Their seas bass is farmed, which is the most sustainably sourced at the moment! I can attest that it is a beautiful piece of fish.
It is a flattish fish, being white or light in colour and it is beautifully sweet and buttery in flavour, mild and delicious! We both enjoy it very much.
I had a lot of work to do today so I decided to cook it simply, by baking it on a sheet pan along with some vegetables. No fuss, no muss, and little to no clean up involved. It is also perfectly sized for just two people, but of course you can increase the amounts to serve more if you wish.
I prepped my vegetables ahead of time. Two baking potatoes, cut into chunks, an red onion, cut into wedges and medium sized tomatoes cut in half.
I cooked everything in stages . . . Potatoes take longer to cook so they were tossed with a bit of oil and seasoning, scattered on the baking sheet and the banged into the oven for a short. While they were roasting I hung up my laundry.
Once my laundry was hung, I took the pan out and added the onions and tomatoes, and a tasty mix of dried herbs. You could use fresh if you are a purist, but I figure they all dry out in the oven anyways, so I just use dried. I also drizzled with a bit of balsamic vinegar. Use the good stuff.
I unloaded the dish washer, loaded it back up, and then ran a duster quickly over the downstairs furniture and then I was ready to add the fish.
Two lovely fillets, seasoned and nestled down in between the vegetables . . . back into the oven.
That left me enough time to set the table and throw together a quick salad to have along side of the fish . . . I threw some chopped cashew nuts onto the fish and roasted for a few minutes longer until they were golden brown.
And that was it, by the time I had that done, the vegetables were tender, those potatoes being golden brown and the onions lightly caramelised . . . and that beautiful sea bass perfectly cooked . . .
The cashews added a bit of extra protein and nutty crunch . . . altogether this was really beautiful.
It needed nothing else. No sauce . . . just a squeeze of lemon if you really want something extra . . .
This was perfect and just what we were needing and craving . . .
Yield: 2
Sheet Pan Roasted Sea Bass Dinner for Two
Perfectly roasted delicious sea bass, with roasted potatoes, tomatoes, onions and toasted cashew nuts, all cooked together on pan. No fuss, no muss, hardly any clean up.
ingredients:
- 2 baking potatoes, scrubbed, dried and cut into 8ths
- 1TBS olive oil
- 1 small red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
- 2 medium tomatoes cut in half
- 1 TBS balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 tsp dried rosemary leaves
- 1/4 tsp dried sage leaves
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1//2 tsp dried parsley flakes
- 2 sea bass fillets
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 TBS chopped raw cashew nuts
instructions:
How to cook Sheet Pan Roasted Sea Bass Dinner for Two
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a large baking tray with aluminium foil, spritz with some low fat, nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Toss the potatoes together with the oil and some seasoning to taste. Spread them out onto the baking tray. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven, stir the potatoes. Add the tomato halves and onion wedges. Drizzle everything with the balsamic vinegar and sprinkle the herbs over everything. Return the tray to the oven and roast for a further 10 minutes.
- Season the sea bass all over with some salt and black pepper. Remove the tray from the oven. Push the vegetables to the side and nestle the fish into the centre of them. Return the baking tray to the oven and roast for about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cashew nuts over the fish. Return to the oven and roast for a further 4 to 6 minutes until the nuts are golden brown, the vegetables are tender and the fish flakes easily with a fork.
- Divide amongst two heated plates and serve immediately.
Sea Bass really is a lovely fish and you cannot fault Seafresh for anything. I am always so very impressed with the fish and seafood we get from them. Their service is impeccable, the packaging well done and environmentally friendly, and the product of exceptional quality and value. If you would like to know more about their products please click here. You really can't go wrong!
A few things about Seafresh:
- Same Day dispatch on orders received before 1 PM.
- All packages are carefully hand packed.
- Free delivery on orders above £50, £8 on orders below that amount.
- Responsibly and sustainably sourced.
- Air Blast Frozen at source within 4 hours of being caught.
- Wide variety to choose from.
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