My recipe of sea bass with fennel

Ingredients:

• 1 beautiful Mediterranean bass 
• 1 large dried stem garden fennel
• 2 spoonfuls of olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 garlic clove (optional)
• Camargue salt

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 180 °.
• Drain the fish by the gills and  clean well.

To a centimeter of water at the bottom of an oval gratin dish long enough to hold the fish in. Cram the bass fennel pin portions and place fennel branches in the bottom of the dish. Top with the fish. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. The salt on top with a few grains of coarse salt Camargue. Bake and watch the cooking.

After 10 minutes, the skin of the wolf is golden. Check the cooking of the flesh by inserting the tip of a knife. Return the fish to cook the other side, add a few grains of salt. Although watch the cooking: do overcook to avoid dry flesh. It should remain moist. The bass is cooked after 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size.

Accompaniment:

In Provence, grilled bass is often part of meager meal of Christmas Eve. It is popular with a gratin of chard or fennel. To complement this with fish and vegetable menu, one can prepare a anchovy, also vegetable and light, with winter vegetables raw. It's a delight !

You can also eat a fish soup with a few grilled bread rubbed with garlic croutons, or fine precooked pasta in shallow water and in which the soup is poured to finish cooking pasta (rather big appetites ). For dessert, to stay on a lighter note, a tart with pine nuts spoil you.

Enjoy your meal !