Wild Sea-bass Fillet Recipe

1. Prep fish

Pat the sea-bass fillets dry with paper towel. Score the skin lightly in 2–3 places if thick to prevent curling. Season both sides with sea salt and black pepper and brush the skin lightly with olive oil. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes while other components are prepared.

2. Cook fish: Heat a large non-stick or stainless steel frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place fillets skin-side down, press gently with a spatula for 20 seconds to keep skin flat. Cook skin-side down for 3–4 minutes until skin is crisp and golden. Flip and cook 1–2 minutes more (depending on thickness) until just cooked through (internal temp ~52–54°C / 125–130°F). Remove to a warm tray and keep loosely tented while finishing sauce and vegetables.

3. Prepare vegetables

Trim woody ends from the white asparagus and peel lower halves if stalks are thick. Halve baby courgettes lengthwise. Zest the lemon and cut remaining lemon into wedges.

4. Cook asparagus: Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Add the white asparagus and simmer 5–8 minutes until just tender when pierced with a knife (time varies by thickness). Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking and preserve color, then drain and pat dry.

5. Sear baby courgettes: In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Place halved courgettes cut-side down and season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Cook 2–3 minutes until golden, then turn and cook 1 more minute. Remove and keep warm. In the same pan, add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, return asparagus to pan briefly to reheat and glaze for 1 minute with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little lemon zest. Keep warm for plating.

6. Make reduction

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the minced shallots, dry white wine and white wine vinegar. Bring to a simmer and reduce until about 2–3 tablespoons of liquid remain (approximately 8–10 minutes). If using heavy cream, add it now and reduce very slightly for 1 minute.

7. Mount with butter (classic method): Lower heat to very low. Begin whisking in the cold cubed butter a few cubes at a time, allowing each addition to emulsify into the reduction before adding more. Continue until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Keep sauce warm but not hot (around 50–60°C) — too much heat will break the emulsion. Season with lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt and white pepper to taste. Keep warm in a thermally insulated container or over the lowest heat with frequent whisking.

8. If sauce breaks: whisk in 1 tsp cold water or a tablespoon of cold cream to help re-emulsify, then continue adding butter slowly.

9. Prepare flowers and batter

Gently open each courgette flower, remove pistil/stamen, and blot dry. In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch and 1/2 tsp salt. Add very cold sparkling water and stir with a fork to just combine; a few small lumps are fine. The batter should be slightly thick but very light — keep it chilled (place bowl over ice briefly) until ready to fry.

10. Heat frying oil: Pour vegetable oil into a deep pan to a depth of about 4–5 cm and heat to 180°C (350°F). If you don't have a thermometer, test by dropping a small bit of batter — it should sizzle and rise immediately.

11. Fry flowers: Hold a flower by its stem, dip into the batter to coat completely, letting excess drip off, then gently lower into the hot oil. Fry 1–2 flowers at a time so oil temperature stays steady. Fry 1.5–2 minutes until batter is crisp and pale golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to paper towels to drain and lightly season with a pinch of salt. Keep warm in a low oven (100°C / 210°F) on a rack if needed and fry remaining flowers.

12. Reheat & assemble: Reheat the beurre blanc gently and give a final whisk. Rewarm sea-bass briefly skin-side up in a hot oven (if needed) for 1–2 minutes to bring to serving temperature but avoid overcooking.

13. Plate (for 4): On each plate arrange 3 white asparagus stalks and 2 halved baby courgettes as a bed. Place the sea-bass fillet on top, skin-side up slightly angled. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of warm beurre blanc around and over the fish (not drowning — a glossy coating). Top each portion with a fried courgette flower. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a few micro herbs, a light grating of lemon zest and a lemon wedge on the side.

14. Serve immediately while the fish is hot and the flower remains crisp.