Sea Bass with Leek, Lentils and Tomatoes from The Low Carb Italian Kitchen
“Our Tuscan chef friend Antonella showed me this simple side dish of leeks and tomatoes, which we like with fish or meat. I have added a can of lentils for speed, and we love them; you could cook them from scratch as they only take about 25 minutes. The lemon and thyme oil is one of those dressings that just wakes everything up – try it over chicken, soup or mozzarella. This makes a light lunch as it is or, for a more substantial meal, cook two fillets of fish each and add the Sautéed greens or the Fennel and leek on pages 170 and 172 of The Low Carb Italian Kitchen.” Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi, authors of The Low Carb Italian Kitchen
Serves 4
Fillets of sea bass or sea bream (weighing approx. 400g/14oz in total)
1 tablespoon white spelt or gluten-free flour
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For the lemon and thyme oil
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
2 tablespoons best-quality extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt, to taste
For the leek, lentils and tomato
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium leek, finely sliced
A few sprigs of thyme
240g (8½oz) cooked and drained green lentils
2 tablespoons tomato purée
300ml (10fl oz) hot fish or vegetable stock, or water
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Prepare the lemon and thyme oil by mixing the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside to infuse while you get on with the rest.
Next, prepare the lentils; heat the oil in a frying pan over a low heat, add the leek, thyme, salt and a few twists of black pepper and cook them slowly for 5 minutes. Stir the lentils and tomato purée into the hot stock and add it to the leek. Cook for 10–15 minutes, or until the leek is soft. Add a little more water if they look dry. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Meanwhile, cook the sea bass fillets. Season them with salt and pepper and lightly flour, tapping off any excess.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and place the fillets in the pan, skin-side down. Cook for 3 minutes until the skin is crispy. You may need to press each fillet down slightly as the skin contracts on cooking. Carefully turn each fillet over and cook for a further 2 minutes. You may need to extend the cooking time for thicker fillets but take care not to overdo it; the fish should be firm to the touch but not dry.
To serve, place a portion of the lentil mixture in the centre of warm plates and top with the sea bass fillets. Drizzle over the lemon and thyme oil and serve immediately.
