Crusted sea bream, Andalusian tomato, smoked almonds, fennel, lemon

by Chantelle Nicholson
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4
1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Sea bream

  • 4 sea bream fillets, pin-boned
  • 100g of smoked almonds, chopped
  • 4 tbsp of olive oil
  • salt

Andalusian tomato soup

  • 250g of plum tomatoes, overripe
  • 1/2 slice of sourdough bread, crusts removed, diced
  • 20g of flaked almonds, toasted
  • 1/8 cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 shallot, sliced
  • 10 basil leaves, torn
  • 1 handful of coriander leaves
  • 20g of tomato purée
  • 125ml of tomato juice
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 10ml of sherry vinegar
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 20ml of extra virgin olive oil

Baked lemon

  • 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp of stock syrup
  • 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Datterino tomatoes

  • 150g of datterino tomatoes, halved lengthways
  • 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, good-quality
  • 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper

Fennel salad

  • 1 fennel bulb, finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1/4 lemon, juice and zest

To serve

  • red vein sorrel leaves
  • fennel cress

Method

1
Begin by making the tomato soup. Slice the tomatoes into 1cm slices and place on a tray in a single layer. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and freeze for 1 hour
  • 250g of plum tomatoes, overripe
  • salt
  • pepper
2
When ready, remove the tomatoes from the freezer, allow to defrost and place in a colander over a bowl to collect the juices
3
Pour the juice over the bread and leave to sit for 20 minutes to soften. Blend together, add the remaining ingredients and blitz again until very smooth. Pass through a fine strainer, season to taste and store if the fridge until required
  • 1/2 slice of sourdough bread, crusts removed, diced
  • 20g of flaked almonds, toasted
  • 1/8 cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 shallot, sliced
  • 10 basil leaves, torn
  • 1 handful of coriander leaves
  • 20g of tomato purée
  • 125ml of tomato juice
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 10ml of sherry vinegar
  • 20ml of extra virgin olive oil
4
Preheat the oven to 160˚C/gas mark 3
5
To make the baked lemon, place the lemon on a tray and bake in the oven until dark brown. Blitz the whole lemon with the stock syrup and olive oil and season to taste
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp of stock syrup
  • 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
6
Marinate the dattorino tomatoes with the balsamic, olive oil and seasoning
  • 150g of datterino tomatoes, halved lengthways
  • 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, good-quality
  • 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper
7
Dress the fennel in the lemon zest, juice and olive oil and set aside
  • 1 fennel bulb, finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1/4 lemon, juice and zest
8
Preheat a water bath to 68°C
9
Sprinkle the bream fillets with salt and set aside for 4 minutes
  • 4 sea bream fillets, pin-boned
  • salt
10
Place each fillet into an individual vacuum bag with a tablespoon of oil and seal in a chamber sealer
  • 4 tbsp of olive oil
11
Cook the fish in the water bath for 4 minutes. Remove the fillets from the bags and place skin-side up under a salamander (or other very hot grill) and cook until the skin is easy to peel off
12
Dress 4 plates with the soup in swirls, then top with the marinated datterino tomatoes. Place the fish on top and drizzle with the baked lemon purée. Sprinkle with the almonds then top with dressed fennel. Dress the plates with the sorrel leaves and fennel cress before serving
  • 100g of smoked almonds, chopped
  • red vein sorrel leaves
  • fennel cress