- 4 gilthead bream fillets, scaled and pin-boned (ask your fishmonger to do this for you)
- small bunch of fresh mint
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp clarified butter
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1kg/2¼ peeled potatoes (such as King Edwards, or any fluffy, dry potato)
- salt
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 150g/5oz unsalted butter
- 150ml/5fl oz double cream
- freshly grated nutmeg
- salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 250g/9oz fresh broad beans (or frozen broad beans that have been defrosted), out of their pods
- 250g/9oz fresh peas (or frozen peas that have been defrosted)
- 1 small shallot, peeled and chopped
- 1 small clove garlic, peeled, crushed and chopped
- 200ml/7fl oz double cream
- 3-4 fresh mint leaves
- salt and freshly ground white pepper
- squeeze of lemon juice
- freshly grated nutmeg
- Preheat the oven to 180C/356F/Gas 4. For the bream, with a sharp knife slice the skin side of each fillet, at ¾-inch intervals. Do not cut too deeply.
- Push a mint leaf into each of the cuts.
- Heat an ovenproof frying pan on stove and add the oil and butter. Add the garlic clove (do not allow to burn).
- Season the fish with salt and pepper and lay in the pan, skin-side down, and cook until golden, for about three to four minutes.
- Using a fish slice, carefully turn the fillets, then place in the preheated oven to finish cooking, for about four minutes.
- Remove from oven and discard the garlic clove and squeeze over the lemon juice.
- For the garlic mash, cut the potatoes into even-sized pieces. Place in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add a little salt and bring to the boil. When boiling, add the garlic.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and tender. Drain in a colander.
- Place the butter and cream in a saucepan and heat on stove until the butter has melted. Mash the potato and garlic, beat in the cream and butter and season with nutmeg and salt and pepper.
- For the fricassée, bring pan of lightly salted water to the boil and blanch the broad beans for two to three minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and refresh in cold iced water.
- Repeat the process with the podded peas in the same boiling water, then refresh in another bowl of iced water. Peel the blanched broad beans and add them to the peas.
- Put 150ml of the water that you cooked the peas and beans in into a clean saucepan. Add the garlic and shallot and simmer gently for about five minutes. Drain the peas and beans and add to the pan. Pour in the cream. Heat and simmer through gently.
- Roughly chop the mint leaves and stir in along with the salt and pepper, lemon juice and nutmeg to taste.
- To serve, spoon a dollop of mash onto a plate, top with the fish fillet and spoon around the mint and olive oil mixture. Sprinkle the fish with a little coarse sea salt.