Ingredients

• 2 sea bass fillets (approx. 150g each)
• 150g dry Puy lentils
• 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 400ml vegetable broth or water
• 30ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, for juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. 1.Rinse the Puy lentils. In a medium saucepan, combine lentils and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Drain any excess liquid.
2. 2.While the lentils cook, heat 15ml of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped shallot and sliced fennel, and cook for 5-7 minutes until softened and lightly caramelized. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
3. 3.Add the cooked lentils and halved cherry tomatoes to the skillet with the fennel mixture. Stir gently to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes are just warmed through. Remove from heat, stir in the fresh parsley, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
4. 4.Pat the sea bass fillets completely dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 15ml of olive oil in a separate non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
5. 5.Carefully place the fillets skin-side down in the hot pan. Press down gently with a spatula for 20 seconds to ensure the skin is flat. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the skin is golden and crispy.
6. 6.Flip the fillets and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side, until the fish is opaque and cooked through. Serve the seared sea bass immediately over a generous portion of the warm lentil salad.

Nutrition Information

Why this recipe