Preparation
Sea Bream:
Pre-heat the oven to 190c/170c/gas mark 4 and line a roasting tray with foil.
In a small pan, toast the fennel seeds for a few seconds until you can smell them toasting.
Scatter the sliced fennel, garlic and chillis over the lined baking tray. Using a vegetable peeler, shave slices of peel and add to the roasting tray. Add the bay leaves.
Chop the dill and flat leaf parsley and scatter over half and dot with half the butter. Place the vegetables into the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the oven and give them a good stir.
Meanwhile, fill the cavity of the fish with the remaining herbs and lemon slices. Season the fish with black pepper and sea salt.
Place the fish on top of the vegetables and dot with the remaining butter. Scatter over the fennel seeds and pour over the water or white wine. Place the fish in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily. Squeeze over the lemon juice and serve.
New buttered potatoes:
Cook the new potatoes in a pan of cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until soft when you put a small knife through the skin. Drain and put back into the pan with the herbs and butter. Stir and pour into a large bowl.
Bitter leaf salad:
Chop the butter into small cubes and add to a small saucepan. Cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes or until the butter turns a nutty brown.
Remove and pour into a small bowl. Whisk in the white wine vinegar and season with salt and black pepper. Add the lemon juice and whisk again. Pour over the salad and mix well. Serve immediately.
