Something fishy...?

It's been a while since I cooked anything from my website staples of BBC Good Food or Channel 4 Food. And after a weekend of indulgence - hello Mr Pad Thai, Mr Massaman and Mr Venison sausages with carrot & potato mash with LOADS of red onion gravy (yum) - it felt time to eat some delicious and light fish dish.

We all know fish is good for us (Channel 4 rammed it home with their recent week of programming) and I'm guilty of not eating enough, but at the same time I'd like to think I still eat more than most. Trouble is, all my faves are the so-called fish we should avoid - cod, sea bass, plaice, sole and more. I get slight pangs of guilt every time I flick through my Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall book, 'River Cottage Everyday' and he runs through the list of fish we should avoid due to their dropping numbers - I've tried replacements such as coley and gurnard, and I'm sorry, they just don't taste as good! Maybe this is a clue as to why certain species are more endangered than others!

I know it's irresponsible, but seeing as I don't eat fish too often I think I should be allowed a little treat don't you! So I've chosen the little number below to serve up tonight. I'm avoiding any boiled and buttered new potatoes, so this should be very healthy. I'm pretty confident it'll be a hit as it uses classic flavours that are some of favourites, plus they are tried and tested combinations. Take a look...

Fillet of sea bass with sweet and sour tomatoes and balsamic vinegar

For the tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
handful vine cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp sugar
For the fish
170g/6oz sea bass fillet
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
25g/1oz rocket
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
For the salad
25g/1oz rocket
olive oil
small bunch of fresh chives, finely chopped, to garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. For the tomatoes, heat the oil over a low heat in an ovenproof frying pan. Add the tomatoes and the sugar and place into the oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, for the sea bass, season the fillet with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and score the skin-side with a knife.
4. Heat the oil and the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sea bass fillet, skin-side down and cook for two minutes.
5. Turn the fillet over and cook for a further 30 seconds, or until cooked through, then remove from the pan and set aside in a warm place.
6. Tear the rocket leaves and add to the same pan with the balsamic vinegar. Cook for five minutes to reduce the balsamic vinegar to a thick sauce.
7. For the salad, place the rocket in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
8. To serve, place the rocket salad onto a large plate and top with the sea bass. Drizzle the sea bass with the balsamic and rocket pan juices and sprinkle with chives. Place the roasted tomatoes around the plate.

Sounds pretty damn good too me! I'll let you know how it comes out.