Cambridgeshire Journal Recipe April 2012

Pan fried Sea bass fillets with new season peas and asparagus

(serves 4)
4 large sea bass fillets, skin on
1 tablespoon Maldon sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons finely chopped dill

Topping
500g cooked prawns
A bunch of asparagus
90g frozen petits pois
1 tablespoon butter
Grated zest of ½ lemon
½ tablespoon Maldon sea salt
Dill
Lemon wedges

Pea purée
1 onion
200ml milk
200g frozen petit pois peas
90ml Crème Fraiche
1 tablespoon salt
1 large pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1. For the purée: Peel and chop the onion finely. Simmer it in the milk for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the frozen peas when 1 minute of the cooking time remains. Drain and purée together with the Crème Fraiche. Season to taste.
2. Break off the woody base of the asparagus and cut diagonally into smaller pieces. Cook in salted water for 3-4 minutes. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water.
3. When ready to serve, heat the drained asparagus, whole peas and the prawns in the butter. Season with the grated lemon zest, salt and pepper.
4. Panfry the fillets in oil, skin side down, for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with dill and turn over to fry for just one minute on the flesh-side.
5. Serve the fish with a little pea purée, the asparagus and prawns.
6. Serve with baby new potatoes. Garnish with whole dill fronds and a lemon wedge.