Crispy Seabass, Potato Bake

These potatoes are a staple dinner party dish of mine. I often serve them with just a squeeze of lemon but they are wonderful with this zippy herby oil - a lazy take on a salsa verde. I love seabass with this and the fillets make for a wonderful dinner party dish too. I’ve given instructions for how to make this for two as well as four as it is a brilliant dish for a date night. If you are cooking this just for 2 you’ll only need one oven tray but if cooking for more just cook the potatoes and fish on separate trays. You can arrange the seabass and crispy potatoes all on one platter as I have done so here or plate up as individual servings.

Ingredients

| Serves 2, increase as necessary |

500g new potatoes
50g butter
1 lemon
1 tsp oregano
Olive oil
50g taggiasche or kalamata olives (pitted)
2 fillets of seabass
1 small bunch parsley, leaves picked
1 small bunch mint, leaves picked
1 small bunch tarragon, leaves picked
1 clove of garlic
Sea salt

Method

Boil your potatoes for about 15-20 mins until cooked well and soft.
Meanwhile preheat your oven to 200 degrees fan setting.
Drain the potatoes and allow them to steam dry for 5 mins, then transfer onto a roasting tray. Smash them slightly using the back of a fork.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the zest of the lemon, oregano and a good pinch of salt. Stir to combine and pour over the potatoes. Then drizzle with olive oil (to make them extra crispy) and season generously with salt. Roast for 30 mins until crisp and golden.
Briefly remove the potatoes from the oven. Add the olives to the tray and stir to combine.
Oil and season the seabass fillets on both sides.
If cooking for two simply make a little space within the potatoes for the seabass and place it, skin side up into the tray. If cooking for four or more rub a little oil onto a separate tray and arrange the seabass. Cook on the top oven rack above the potatoes.
Bake for 10 mins. I like to crank up my oven heat and switch it to the grill for the last five minutes for extra crispy skin.
For the herby oil, finely chop the parsley, mint and tarragon and place in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice, finely grate in the garlic clove, season with salt and add enough oil until you have a spoonable saucy oil.
Transfer the seabass and crispy potatoes to a serving dish or serve straight from the roasting tray if you like. Spoon over the herby oil and serve with any remaining oil on the side.

If you are looking for more fish recipes then try this sweet potato, broccoli and seabass tray bake or this baked salmon with blood orange.