Prep time:

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Total time:

Serves: 6

6 Fillets of Seabass, skin on

3 Large Leeks

5 Beetroot

Olive Oil

Lemon Juice

200g Butter

Dried or Fresh Oregano

Vegetable Stock

Lucinda sourced the fish that she used in her recipes locally from Botterells Fresh Fish in Rye. Find their stand at many farmers’ markets across the south east including Battle, Crowborough, Brede, Wye, Cranbrook, Meopham, Penshurst, Rolvenden and Tunbridge Wells. Botterells can be contacted on 01797 222875.

  1. Marinate your fish in olive oil and lemon juice with a teaspoon of dried or fresh oregano for an hour or so before cooking it.
  2. Prepare your leeks, remove outer skins and chop off any tough leaves. Chop into rough inch size pieces. Melt some butter in an ovenproof pan and gently fry your leeks until they get some colour and soften slightly. Half cover them with vegetable stock and braise them in the oven at 180°C until they are soft and all the stock has been absorbed.
  3. Peel and cut your beetroot into quarters. Toss in olive oil and pepper and salt and roast in the oven until they are slightly caramelized around the edges (you can cook them in the same oven as the leeks, but in a separate dish!).
  4. To make the beurre blanc, squeeze the juice of ½ a lemon into a small saucepan. Heat and reduce by half. When it has reduced to a more syrupy consistency, whisk in the cubed cold butter slowly. Keep whisking until all the butter has been incorporated and you have a nice creamy sauce. If you stop whisking, the butter will just melt and the sauce will split. Keep warm until ready to serve.
  5. When you are ready to serve, grill the fillets of fish skin side up, at high heat until the skins bubble and crisp up.
  6. Plate the leeks and beetroot and gently place the fish on top and serve with the sauce on top or on the side.

  • words:
  • pictures: David Merewether

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