Raymond Blanc’s pan-fried sea bream with ratatouille and tomato coulis

Method

1. For the ratatouille, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and soften the onions and thyme for 3-4 minutes without letting them colour. Add the garlic, red peppers, courgettes and aubergine, season generously with salt and pepper, then cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the tomato purée and chopped tomatoes, cover, then cook for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Taste and correct the seasoning, if necessary, then set aside.
2. Meanwhile, make the coulis. In a blender or using a stick blender, purée the cherry tomatoes with the extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Taste and add the sugar, if needed, then strain through a fine sieve into a bowl.
3. Slash the skin of each sea bream fillet 3 times with a sharp knife and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over a high heat. Sear the fillets on the flesh side for 30-40 seconds in the hot oil, then turn the fillets over and cook for 2-3 minutes (if they’re particularly thick fillets, they made need a few minutes more). Sprinkle with lemon juice.
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4. To serve, reheat the ratatouille and warm the tomato coulis if you need to, making sure it doesn’t boil (otherwise it will become grainy and lose all its freshness). Arrange the ratatouille on a large platter or in the middle of 4 soup plates and top with the sea bream fillets. Spoon the tomato coulis around, then drizzle with a little more extra-virgin olive oil.