- 350g/13oz potatoes
- 1 small bulb fennel
- 200g/7oz pancetta, cut into thin strips about 0.5cm/¼in thickness, then julienned
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 x 150g/5oz sea bass fillets, pin boned
- dash olive oil, for frying
- 1 bunch spring onions, peeled, finely sliced
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 medium tomato, seeds removed, diced
- ½ lime, juice only
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 handful fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped
- For the sea bass, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- Cook the potatoes and fennel bulb in a pan of boiling, salted water for 15 minutes, or until cooked but still firm.
- Strain, peel and cut the potatoes and fennel into thick slices. Set aside.
- Blanch the pancetta in a pan of boiling water, then drain and refresh in cold water. Drain once more then place on kitchen paper to dry.
- Season the sea bass with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a dash of olive oil in a frying pan until hot and cook the fish skin-side down for four minutes, or until the skin starts to be crisp. Turn the fish over and place onto an oven tray skin-side up, then place in the oven for a further six minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the potatoes, fennel and pancetta to the same pan you used to cook the fish and fry for a couple of minutes, or until the potatoes are slightly golden-brown.
- Add the spring onions and fry for a further two minutes – be careful not to break the potatoes.
- For sauce vierge, briefly warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over a low heat for about 30 seconds. Add the shallot and fry for two minutes. Remove from the heat, add the tomato, lime and balsamic vinegar and stir.
- At the last minute add the chopped flatleaf parsley and salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
- To serve, spoon the ragoût onto the plate, top with the fish then drizzle the sauce vierge over.