Pan Fried Fillet of Sea Bream

For me sea bream is just as tasty as, if not tastier than, sea bass – and it's more sustainable, so Mother Earth will love you for choosing it! However, feel free to use any white fish for this dish. You can buy a whole fish and fillet it yourself, or get your fishmonger to do it for you. I eat mine with a simple baby leaf salad and goat's cheese.

Ingredients

1 whole sea bream, filleted

Black pepper to season

Sea salt

1 clove of garlic, peeled

A knob of butter

1 sprig of thyme

Olive oil

1 lemon

Method

• Sprinkle each fillet with ground black pepper and a little sea salt on the flesh side.

• Put a little sea salt in a pestle and mortar and add the peeled garlic clove, then grind them together into a paste. Add in the knob of butter and mix it through.

• Pick the thyme leaves off the sprig and toss them in a little oil so they don’t cook too quickly when cooking.

• Place a large frying pan on a high heat and add the butter-paste and the thyme leaves. When the pan is hot add the fish fillets skin side down and cook for a minute or two, until the flesh has turned white halfway up. Add a squeeze of lemon and carefully flip them over and cook for a further two minutes. Don’t overcook but do ensure all the flesh in the thickest part is white.

• Serve with a nice fresh salad or some baby new potatoes.