This beautiful sea bass recipe from the Galvin brothers is a summer recipe through and through. Pistou itself is a French form of pesto, in this case served stirred into a soup made from summer vegetables.
Begin by making the pistou. Using a pestle and mortar, purée the garlic, then add the pine nuts and basil leaves and continue pounding to make a paste. Add the oil gradually, combining thoroughly to form a sauce, then season to taste and store in the fridge until required
For the soup, heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan and add the diced onion, cooking until soft. Add the other vegetables to the pan and season, then place a lid on the pan and sweat the vegetables for 3 minutes until soft and tender
Add the water to the pan, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and leave to cook for 8 minutes. Add the orzo to the pan and cook for a further 4 minutes, or until cooked
1.5l mineral water
50g of orzo
4
Meanwhile, heat 2 non-stick pans with a little olive oil and season the sea bass with salt - it’s best to use 2 pans to prevent overcrowding. Place the fish skin-side down into the hot pans and cook, turning after 5 minutes. Cook the fish on the other side for a further 2 minutes
Remove the soup from the heat and add the diced tomatoes to the pan, along with the pistou. Stir to thoroughly to combine, check the seasoning, and divide between 4 bowls
2
tomatoes, blanched, skinned, deseeded and cut into 1cm dice
6
To serve, sprinkle the soup with the grated Gruyère and top with the cooked fish. Finish with a pinch of salt and a dash of olive oil
Chris and Jeff Galvin have spearheaded the revival of high quality French bistro cuisine in the UK, offering affordable luxury, family hospitality and ingredient-led, seasonal menus across their restaurant empire.
