Roasted Sea Bass with Fennel, Orange and New Potatoes
A Mediterranean sheet-pan dinner: golden sea bass over roasted fennel and new potatoes, finished with fresh orange segments and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Total
- 55 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 40
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Roasting · Seasoning in layers
- Savory
- Mediterranean
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 200°C. Cut the new potatoes into 2 cm wedges. Trim the fennel, cut it into 1 cm wedges, and keep the fronds aside.
~10 min
Cutting potatoes and fennel into even pieces ensures they roast at the same rate and finish tender together.
-
Toss the new potatoes and fennel on the baking tray with 2 tbsp olive oil, 0.75 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Spread them in a single layer and roast for 25 minutes, until the edges are golden and the potatoes are nearly tender.
~25 min
A single layer lets hot air circulate so vegetables brown and caramelize instead of steaming.
Roasting Spread ingredients in a single layer with space between pieces so they brown; crowding steams them. Roast until edges are golden and a knife slides easily into the potatoes.
Seasoning in layers Season vegetables before roasting and fish just before cooking so salt penetrates evenly. Taste a potato before serving and adjust; under-salting dulls roasted flavors.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the vegetables roast, cut the top and bottom off the orange. Stand it upright and slice away the peel and pith, then cut between the membranes to release the segments into a small bowl. Squeeze the spent membranes over the bowl to catch the juice.
~8 min
Cutting between membranes removes bitter pith and yields clean segments; squeezing captures juice for dressing.
-
Pat the sea bass fillets dry with paper towel. Brush them with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and season with the remaining 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper.
~3 min
Drying the skin removes surface moisture so it crisps and browns rather than steaming in the oven.
Patting the sea bass skin completely dry before oiling helps it crisp against the hot tray instead of steaming.
Seasoning in layers Season vegetables before roasting and fish just before cooking so salt penetrates evenly. Taste a potato before serving and adjust; under-salting dulls roasted flavors.
-
Push the roasted potatoes and fennel to the edges of the tray. Lay the sea bass fillets skin-side up in the centre and scatter the orange segments around them. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily at the thickest point and reaches 63°C.
~15 min
Pushing vegetables aside lets the fish sit directly on the hot tray for better heat contact and even cooking.
If the potatoes are still firm when the fish is done, lift the fish onto a warm plate, return the vegetables to the oven for 5 more minutes, then serve.
Roasting Spread ingredients in a single layer with space between pieces so they brown; crowding steams them. Roast until edges are golden and a knife slides easily into the potatoes.
-
Scatter the reserved fennel fronds over the tray and spoon the collected orange juice over the fish and vegetables. Serve straight from the tray.
~2 min