Sea bass with cauliflower mash & parsley sauce

“An elegant and effortlessly prepared meal, perfect for a Saturday night in or a special date night. Cauliflower offers a wonderfully creamy alternative to potatoes in the mash, and by incorporating carrots, you’ve already checked off two of your five-a-day and added diversity to the dish. No need to peel your carrots – a thorough scrub helps retain the fibre content. Feel free to substitute the broccoli with any seasonal vegetables of your choice, too.” — Dr Chintal Patel

Prep:30 mins
Cook:30 mins
Serves 4
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 371
fat 24g
saturates 7g
carbs 7g
sugars 0g
fibre 5g
protein 28g
salt 0.46g

Ingredients

4 carrots , roughly chopped
1 cauliflower (around 400g), cut into florets
1tbsp butter
25g parsley, finely chopped
50g parmesan, grated
350g broccoli, trimmed and any larger stalks halved
3tbsp olive oil
4 boneless sea bass fillets
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
20g flaked almonds
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Method

Heat a large pan of salted water over a medium-high heat, tip in the cauliflower and carrot and cook until soft, about 10-15 mins. Drain, allow to cool slightly, then mash to a smooth consistency or, if you have a food processor, blend until smooth. Stir in the butter, a good pinch of freshly ground black pepper and the grated parmesan. Season to taste.
Meanwhile, put the broccoli in a frying pan with 50ml water over a medium heat. Cover and cook for 8-10 mins, shaking the pan occasionally, until just tender. Remove from the heat, season, and keep covered until ready to serve.
Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Score the skin side of the fish with three slits. Put the fish skin-side down in the pan and press the fillets down with a spatula to prevent them curling. Cook for about 3-4 mins until the skin is golden and crispy. Flip the fillets over and cook the other side for 1-2 mins. The fish is cooked when it is opaque all the way through and flakes easily. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Put the remaining olive oil and the garlic in the pan. Fry over a medium heat for 1-2 mins until golden brown, then add the parsley, almonds, salt and pepper to taste, and the lemon juice and zest (reserving a little to serve). Mix for a minute and remove from the heat. To serve, top the mash with the sea bass, add a side of broccoli and finish with a drizzle of the garlic and parsley sauce.