Home > Recipes > Potato recipes > Roast sea bass and potato traybake

Roast sea bass and potato traybake

Name: Roast sea bass and potato traybake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 1kg large new potatoes, scrubbed; 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; Pared zest 1 lemon; 2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly bashed; 1 garlic bulb, cloves separated, skin left on; 2 large fillets sustainable wild sea bass (600-700g total); 50g fresh pecorino shavings; 2 handfuls wild rocket; For the pesto; 40g sunflower seeds; 1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped; 75g pecorino or other hard cheese, finely grated; 1 large handful fresh basil leaves; 100ml extra- virgin olive oil; You’ll also need…; Mini food processor or pestle and mortar

By: Gill Meller

Published: 16 Jul 20
Updated: 25 Mar 24

Roasted wild sea bass and potatoes make a great all-in-one dinner or weekend feast. Sea bass is used here, but fillets of bream or hake would work too.

If you like the sound of this, our halibut, ratatouille and new potato tray bake may well be up your street too.

Easy
July 2020

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 30 min, oven time 53-70 min

Roasted wild sea bass and potatoes make a great all-in-one dinner or weekend feast. Sea bass is used here, but fillets of bream or hake would work too.

If you like the sound of this, our halibut, ratatouille and new potato tray bake may well be up your street too.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 888kcals
Fat: 57.8g (14.2g saturated)
Protein: 49.3g
Carbohydrates: 44.7g (3.9g sugars)
Fibre: 6.1g
Salt: 0.8g

Save recipe

Save

Save recipe Print

Rate

Ingredients

1kg large new potatoes, scrubbed
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Pared zest 1 lemon
2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly bashed
1 garlic bulb, cloves separated, skin left on
2 large fillets sustainable wild sea bass (600-700g total)
50g fresh pecorino shavings
2 handfuls wild rocket

For the pesto

40g sunflower seeds
1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped
75g pecorino or other hard cheese, finely grated
1 large handful fresh basil leaves
100ml extra- virgin olive oil

You’ll also need…

Mini food processor or pestle and mortar

Cook Mode Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Put the potatoes in a pan with salted water, bring to the boil, then cook for 15-25 minutes until tender.
Drain, then leave in the colander for a few moments to steam dry. Tip the potatoes onto a board, then give them a bash with a heavy object (I use the base of the pan I cooked them in). Don’t mash them, just bash flatter, exposing the flesh to maximise their crisping potential.
Trickle half the olive oil into a large roasting tray. Distribute the potatoes evenly on the tray. Scatter over the zest, fennel seeds and garlic, then season with salt and pepper. Trickle over the remaining oil, then roast for 45-60 minutes or until the potatoes are crisp and crunchy.

Meanwhile, make the pesto. Set a dry frying pan over a medium heat and toast the sunflower seeds for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until fragrant. Leave to cool, then pulse/ pound to a fairly fine consistency in a mini food processor/pestle and mortar with the garlic, cheese and some salt. Add the basil, then pulse/pound again until well chopped. Gradually pulse/stir in the oil. Once everything is combined with an even texture, check the seasoning, then spoon the pesto into a bowl (or see Make Ahead).
Cut the sea bass fillets widthways into 5cm pieces. Remove the potatoes from the oven, coat the fish pieces in the lemony garlicky oil, then arrange skin-side up, on and around the spuds. Roast for 8-10 minutes more or until the fish is just cooked through.
Remove the tray from the oven. Spoon the pesto over the potatoes in generous dollops, then scatter with the shaved pecorino and rocket. Serve the whole tray at the table.