Sea Bass Stuffed With Griddled Vegetable Couscous And Served With A Cherry Tomato Salad
Instructions
To make the couscous, pour the water into a small pan and add the thyme and garlic. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and stir in the bouillon or stock cube until dissolved. Put the couscous in a large bowl and pour the seasoned water over. Stir well then cover the bowl with cling film and set aside for 15 minutes.
# Warm a griddle pan over a high heat (see tip 1). Toss the courgette, aubergine and pepper in 2 tsp of the olive oil and place on the griddle. Cook for about 5 minutes, turning once or twice until lightly charred. Remove from the heat.
# Take the cling film off the couscous and remove the thyme and garlic. Use a fork to separate the grains. Add the charred vegetables, remaining 2 tsp olive oil, spring onions, coriander and vinegar. Toss well together and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
# To prepare the sea bass, preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7 (see tip 2). Score each fish fillet though the skin three times. Cut 12 pieces of kitchen string each one about 20cm long. Place one of the fish fillets on a board, skin-side down. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon half the couscous mixture over the fish, spreading down the centre and almost all the way to the sides. Top with a second fish fillet, skin-side up, and tie securely with string to contain the filling use 5-6 lengths of string for each fish. Repeat the method with the remaining fish fillets and couscous. Transfer the stuffed fish to a large plate and drizzle with 1 tsp oil. Turn both fish gently to lightly coat in the oil.
# Wipe the griddle pan with a clean damp cloth then place over a high heat. Cook the fish on each side for about a minute until the skin is crisp and golden, turning carefully with tongs or a palette knife. Drizzle 1 tsp of the oil over a large baking tray. Arrange the sliced fennel on top. Put the fish on top of the fennel, drizzle with the remaining 2 tsp oil and bake for about 15-20 minutes until cooked (see tip 3).
# While the fish is cooking, make the tomato salad by tossing all the ingredients together in a bowl. Season to taste. Remove the fish from the oven and carefully transfer to a chopping board. Cut each fish in half. Arrange the cooked fennel on four plates. Top with the fish and spoon the tomato salad over to serve.
Recipe tips 1. Havent got a griddle pan? Use a large non-stick frying pan instead.
2. Prepare the fish ahead if you like. Follow the recipe up to the end of step 4 then cover and chill for up to 8 hours. Remove from the fridge around 30 minutes before you begin to cook and allow it to return to room temperature.
3. The fish is cooked when the flesh turns opaque and the couscous filling is hot check inside when you cut the fish in half. If it needs longer, simply return to the oven for 5-10 minutes. A cocktail stick inserted into the fish should slide in easily.
