The Jersey Royal season is reaching a peak and around the island honesty boxes are full of bags of delicious potatoes. Bizarrely you will probably be able to buy them cheaper on the mainland due to the buying power of the supermarkets but I guess I can console myself with some very low food miles. I wrote last year about the history of the Jersey Royal and here is a very light and tasty way of serving up this year’s harvest. To keep it really local I am going to use some fresh line-caught Sea Bass, Jersey Dairy Salted Butter and island grown Vine Tomatoes.

A good fishmonger should be able to source your Sea Bass for you, as a cheaper alternative, you could do worse than take a look at Sea Bream as an alternative. A good local fishmonger with an ice tray full of fish and seafood, caught from our coastal waters, should be treasured. Along with your local butcher and greengrocer, he should be on the family Christmas card list, invited to weddings and treated as a valued friend.  Not only will he have an array of fish to tempt you but can provide advice and help prepare your lunch or dinner. This is an ideal recipe to be served as a delicious, but quick and simple to cook supper.

Pan-fried Sea Bass with Jersey Royals                                                    serves 4

4 Medium Sea Bass fillets, pin boned and de-scaled

( Your fishmonger should do this for you )

500 gr Jersey Royal Potatoes

50 ml Good quality Olive Oil

25 gr Salted Butter

100 gr Vine Cherry or Baby Plum Tomatoes

1 small Red Onion, peeled and very finely chopped

2 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and very finely chopped

1 small Chilli, de-seeded and very finely chopped

Zest and Juice of 1 fresh Lime

A small handful of fresh Coriander Leaves

½ teaspoon Coriander seeds

½ teaspoon Caster Sugar

Sea Salt and freshly cracked Black Pepper

Prepare the Jersey Royal potatoes by washing in cold water, rubbing any dirt off with a cloth. Place in a pan of cold  lightly salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for about ten minutes, depending on size until just cooked and they fall off the point of a small sharp knife. Place the pan under a cold tap and run until the potatoes are cold and the cooking process is arrested.

Halve the cherry tomatoes and place in a bowl with the onion and the chilli. Sprinkle with the sugar. Toast the coriander seeds in a small sauté pan over a moderate heat to release the essential oils and develop the flavour add a splash of olive oil and one clove of the garlic. Sauté for two minutes without burning either the garlic or the coriander, gently crush in a pestle or food processor and add to the bowl of tomatoes. Add the lime juice and zest and one fluid ounce of the olive oil, mix well and season then set aside.

Prepare the sea bass fillets by carefully scoring parallel lines just through the skin with a very sharp knife point. This will help prevent the fish from curling up in the pan during cooking. Generously season the fish fillets on both sides. Heat two medium sauté pans and divide the remaining butter and oil, when the butter is melted and starting to foam, add the potatoes to the first and the fish to the second. Place the fillets in the pan, one by one, skin side down and gently press down with your fingers in the centre of the fish for thirty seconds to ensure the middle of the fillet remains in contact with the pan.

Warm the potatoes through until the skins begin to slightly crisp then add the remaining garlic and plenty of salt and pepper. After the fish starts to turn from opaque to white and the skins are crisp and golden brown, around three to four minutes, turn over and finish flesh side down for a further two minutes. This process will depend on the size and thickness of your sea bass fillets and they may need a little longer.

Chop the fresh coriander and add to the salsa. Place hot, garlicky potatoes in a circle on a warm plate and fill the centre with salsa, the top with the cooked fish. Using a spoon decorate the edge of the plate with a little extra salsa including some of the liquor. For an extra special finish top with a deep fried prawn.

Optional

4 large King Prawns, peeled and de-veined

50 gr Plain Flour plus extra for dredging

A small bottle of cold Sparkling Water

Sea Salt and freshly cracked Black Pepper

2 pints of Vegetable Oil for Frying

Sieve the flour into a bowl and add a generous amount of salt and pepper. With a whisk, mixing continuously, add some sparkling to the flour until you have a smooth batter about the consistency of double cream. Place the batter in the fridge to rest for fifteen minutes. In a large, heavy-bottomed, pan heat the oil to 160°C / 320 F using a thermometer to check. If you do not have a thermometer have a few cubes of stale white bread to hand. Place a bread cube in the oil if it rises to the surface and cooks to a golden brown in a couple of minutes the oil is hot enough.

Take two teaspoons of flour and place in a shallow tray, season well. Dredge each prawn in the seasoned flour until covered. Shake off the excess flour and dip in the batter mix before carefully lowering into the hot oil. Fry the prawns for around four minutes or until the batter is crisp and golden, turning the prawns from time to time with a large slotted spoon. When the prawns are cooked remove using the spoon and drain on kitchen paper.