Sea bass fillets with agrodolce shallots, herbed puy lentils and lardons

Serves 2-4 Starters and mains

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Method

To make the agrodolce, place the untrimmed shallots in a pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil then simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and refresh them in cold water and peel, leaving a little of the root end intact so they don’t fall apart while cooking. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the onions over a low-to-medium heat for around 12 minutes, turning frequently until evenly golden. Mix in the sugar and allow it to dissolve. Add the sherry and some sea salt, cover and cook gently for around 10 minutes until soft and syrupy (splash in a little water if it gets too sticky).

To make the herbed lentils, fry the lardons in a dry pan on a medium heat until lightly golden, add the garlic and lentils along with a few tbsp of water and gently heat through. Add the chopped herbs and a splash of extra virgin olive oil.

Meanwhile, to cook the fish, cut large fillets in half or use smaller fish as whole fillets.

Heat the grill and set a shelf 15cm from the heat. Place the fish on a foil-lined tray. Season and spoon over some oil and grill on the flesh side for a few minutes. Turn the fish skin-side up and continue to grill carefully until cooked so that the skin is golden and not charred. Serve with the onions and lentils and, if you wish, a handful of watercress.