Crispy Skin Sea Bass with Samphire and Crushed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 800g new potatoes, scrubbed
• 30g unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, zested and halved
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 4 sea bass fillets, skin on, pin-boned
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 200g samphire, rinsed well
• 20g unsalted butter
• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• 75ml dry white wine
• 2 tbsp capers, drained
• a small bunch of fresh dill, fronds picked, to serve
• extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle, to serve
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
• flaky sea salt, to finish
• Crusty white bread, to serve
• Crisp green salad, to serve

Method

1. Put the new potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold salted water and bring to the boil. Cook for 18–20 minutes until tender when pierced easily with a knife, then drain well.
2. Return the potatoes to the pan and add the butter, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest and grated garlic. Crush roughly with a fork — you want texture, not a smooth mash — then season generously with salt and pepper and keep warm over a very low heat.
3. While the potatoes cook, place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and melt the butter for the samphire. Once foaming, add the shallots and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened and translucent.
4. Add the samphire and capers to the shallots, pour in the white wine and cook for 3–4 minutes until the samphire is tender and the wine has reduced by half. Taste before seasoning — samphire is naturally salty. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
5. Pat the sea bass fillets completely dry with kitchen paper — this is essential for crispy skin. Score the skin lightly with a sharp knife two or three times and season with salt and pepper.
6. Heat the olive oil in a clean non-stick frying pan over a high heat until shimmering. Lay the fillets skin-side down, pressing each one gently with a spatula for the first 30 seconds to stop them curling.
7. Cook skin-side down for 4–5 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and crisp and the flesh has turned opaque almost all the way through, then flip and cook for 30 seconds more until just cooked through. Remove from the heat.
8. Spoon the crushed potatoes onto warmed plates, top with the samphire and capers, then lay the sea bass skin-side up on top.
9. Finish with picked dill fronds, a pinch of flaky sea salt, a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Serve with lemon wedges, crusty white bread and a crisp green salad alongside.