Whole Roast Sea Bass with Fennel, Lemon and Vermouth

⏱ 50 min · Serves 2

A whole sea bass roasted on a bed of sliced fennel, with dry vermouth and lemon bubbling up into a glossy, aniseed-scented pan sauce. It looks like a restaurant plate but it's really just one tray and twenty-five minutes in the oven — the kind of dish that makes a Friday feel like an occasion.

Per serving: 610 kcal · 52.0g protein · 14.0g carbs · 33.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 whole sea bass (approx. 700–800g), scaled and gutted
• 2 medium fennel bulbs (about 500g), trimmed, fronds reserved
• 1 unwaxed lemon, half sliced, half for juice
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 150ml dry vermouth (Noilly Prat or similar)
• 15g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C fan / 220C / gas 7. Take the fish out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.
2. Halve the fennel bulbs and slice them lengthways about 5mm thick. Toss in a roasting tin with 2 tbsp olive oil, the garlic, fennel seeds, a good pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes until starting to soften and colour at the edges.
3. Meanwhile, pat the sea bass thoroughly dry inside and out. Slash the flesh 3 times on each side, down to the bone. Season generously all over, including the cavity.
4. Stuff the cavity with the lemon slices, thyme sprigs and a few fennel fronds.
5. Pull out the tin, stir the fennel and lay the fish on top. Rub the remaining 1 tbsp oil over the skin and pour the vermouth around (not over) the fish.
6. Roast for 22–25 minutes, until the flesh at the thickest part comes away easily from the bone and the skin is crisp and blistered.
7. Lift the fish onto a warm platter to rest. Set the roasting tin over a medium hob burner, squeeze in the juice of the remaining lemon half, and whisk in the cold butter until the pan juices turn glossy. Taste and season.
8. Scatter with parsley and the reserved fennel fronds. Serve the fennel and pan sauce alongside, filleting the fish at the table.