Saffron-Scented Sea Bass with...Saffron-Scented Sea Bass with Velvety Fennel and Citrus Gremolata

A refined Mediterranean composition featuring pan-seared wild sea bass over a silk-textured saffron fennel puree, finished with a bright pine nut and citrus gremolata.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Warm the heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat; add the saffron threads and allow to steep for 10 minutes to extract the deep golden pigment and aroma.

2. 02

   In a separate pan, sauté the sliced fennel bulbs with 15g of butter over medium heat until completely soft and translucent, avoiding any browning.

3. 03

   Combine the sautéed fennel and saffron cream in a high-speed blender; process until perfectly smooth, then pass through a fine-mesh chinois for a professional, velvety texture.

4. 04

   Prepare the gremolata by whisking together the lemon zest, orange zest, minced parsley, toasted pine nuts, and 30ml of the extra virgin olive oil.

5. 05

   Pat the sea bass skin bone-dry using paper towels. Heat the remaining olive oil in a heavy stainless steel skillet until shimmering. Place the fish skin-side down, pressing firmly with a weight or spatula for 30 seconds to ensure a flat, even sear.

6. 06

   Cook the fish skin-side down for 4 minutes until the skin is glass-shattering crisp. Flip the fillets gently and add the remaining 15g of butter and a splash of lemon juice to the pan, basting the skin for the final 60 seconds of cooking.

7. 07

   To plate, spoon a generous pool of warm saffron fennel puree into the center of shallow bowls. Nestle the sea bass atop the puree and drizzle with the citrus-pine nut gremolata. Finish with a touch of Maldon sea salt.