Gilthead Bream with Rosti, Fennel, and Chilli Jam

Gilthead Bream is relatively cheap, quick to cook and its firm'ish white meat is grossly underated.

This page may seem a bit complicated but, as is often the case with my recipes, much of it can be prepared and cooked in advance.

Ingredients: (four people)

4 x large Gilthead Bream fillets, scaled and pinboned (a job for your fishmonger!)
salt and pepper
2 tblspns of vegetable oil
1 knob of butter

For the Rosti:
4 large Maris Piper Potatoes
2 cloves of garlic - crushed
1 tspn thyme leaves
salt and pepper
1 tblspn vegetable oil
a knob of butter

For the fennel:
1 large fennel bulb
1 small onion - peeled and finely chopped
4 tblspns of white wine
1 Star Anise
a knob of butter
salt and pepper

To finish:
Chilli Jam
1 tspn of Pesto mixed with 1 tblspn of olive oil

Method:

1. Make the Chilli Jam - the recipe is here and it will keep for weeks.

2. The Rosti: Peel and grate the potatoes. Toss in the salt then wrap in a clean tea towel and squeeze out the liquid. This will ensure a crisp Rosti. Stir in the garlic, pepper and thyme then press the mixture into 4 pastry rings. Heat the oil and butter in a non stick frying pan and when bubbling add the Rosti and cook for 3 minutes on each side. These can be made a few hours in advance and reheated in a hot oven for 3-4 minutes.

3. The fennel: Cut the fennel in half lengthways and remove the core. Place a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the butter, fennel and onion, toss to coat, then add the wine, salt, pepper and anise and cook until the fennel is tender. Discard the anise. This can be done a few hours in advance and reheated over a medium heat.

4. The fish: Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil and butter and when bubbling add the fish, skin side down. Cook for two minutes then flip over and remove from the heat. It will be perfectly cooked by the time everything else is reheated.

Reheat the Rosti and fennel. Place the fennel in the centre of warm serving plates then sit a rosti on top and a bream fillet on top of that. Splodge 5 x ½ tspns of chilli jam around and drizzle with pesto oil.