Grilled fillets of sea bass with herb risotto, roasted cherry tomatoes and pesto

With flavours reminiscent of the Mediterranean, this fish recipe is a beautiful way of serving crisp-skinned fish fillets. The richness of the herb and mascarpone risotto base is countered by the vibrancy of roasted cherry tomatoes and a fragrant basil pesto.

Ingredients

GRILLED SEA BASS

• 4 sea bass fillets, each weighing 140g
• ground sea salt

HERB RISOTTO

• 50g of unsalted butter
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely diced
• 150g of Arborio risotto rice
• 400ml of chicken stock
• 50g of Parmesan, grated
• 75g of mascarpone
• 1 tbsp of tarragon, freshly chopped
• 1 tbsp of chervil, freshly chopped
• 1 tbsp of parsley, freshly chopped
• white pepper, freshly ground

ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

• 200g of cherry tomatoes on the vine
• olive oil
• sea salt

PESTO

• 50g of basil
• 50g of pine nuts
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 tbsp of Parmesan, grated
• 150ml of olive oil
• salt

TO PLATE

• 1 lemon, juiced

Method

1. For the herb risotto, melt the butter in a wide-based pan, add the onion and garlic and gently cook for 2 minutes without colouring.

2. Add the rice and stir well to coat the grains with butter.

3. Add the stock a little at a time, stirring continually so that the rice cooks evenly and doesn’t stick, until the stock has been used up.

4. Add the Parmesan and mascarpone and mix in well. Adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper, throw in the herbs, mix again and set aside.

5. For the roasted cherry tomatoes, set the oven to 220˚C/Gas mark 7. Using scissors to cut the vine, divide the tomatoes into four equal portions, coat them with olive oil and season with salt. Cook them in the oven for four minutes or until nicely caramelised.

6. Make the pesto by blending the basil, pine nuts, garlic and Parmesan with a pinch of salt until smooth. Turn the speed right down and drizzle in the olive oil until it has emulsified with the other ingredients

7. Place in a clean jar and cover with a thin layer of olive oil to stop the sauce from oxidising.

8. For the grilled sea bass fillet recipe begin by seasoning the sea bass with ground sea salt. Place skin side up on a baking tray and drizzle with a good amount of olive oil. Cook under a hot grill for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crisp and the flesh cooked through.

9. Re-heat the risotto with a little more stock to loosen the rice. Serve the grilled sea bass with the warm herb risotto and roasted tomatoes, finishing with the pesto and a little lemon juice