Bass with Jerusalem artichoke & samphire

For ➍
1 kg Jerusalem artichoke
800 g new potatoes
160 g samphire
500 g bass fillet (with skin if possible)*
2 lemons**
40 cl cream**
½ cube fish broth (optional)**
butter
olive oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper
a handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Wash the potatoes and cut them in half. You can leave the skin on. Put them in a large, wide baking dish or baking tray, pour in a few tbs of olive oil and put them in the oven for 25 m. After 15 m, turn the potatoes over.
Wash the Jerusalem artichokes and cut them into approximately the same size as the new potatoes. If they are nice and fresh you don't have to peel them. Otherwise use a peeler.
Scrub the lemons clean and grate the peel off.
Place the bass fillets on some kitchen paper to drain.
Clean the samphire by cutting away dry or hard pieces at the ends.
(If the potatoes don't get a bit of a tan after 25 m, leave them in the oven for another 10 m.) Then add the Jerusalem artichoke and mix well. Add some oil if necessary. Then put it back in the oven for another 15 m.
{Pre-heat the grill pan. Put the cream in a saucepan, bring to the boil and let it boil down in a few m. Add the fish stock, or just some salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon zest. Taste and add some extra lemon juice if necessary. Finish the sauce by  beating in a few cubes of butter so that the sauce thickens and shines.} / For a light alternative: see lower/
Pat the bass dry and place it face down in the hot grill pan. Let it bake for 2 to 3 m, so that nice grill marks appear on the fish and the skin becomes crispy. Gently turn the fillets over and let them cook for a maximum of 2 m. Be careful not to leave the fillets in the pan for too long. You prefer them to be just cooked, so that the fine meat is a little translucent white and wonderfully soft and juicy.
Meanwhile, melt some butter in a large frying pan and fry the samphire over medium-high heat for a few m until it is al dente.
Divide the Jerusalem artichoke and the new potatoes between four plates. Place the bass fillets on top and season with a lot of salt and pepper.
/alternative to sauce/ {Spread 1 ts light cream over each fillet, sprinkle with some lemon juice and grated citrus peel}. Sprinkle the parsley on top and place the samphire next to it. When using the cream sauce, pour the cream sauce on the other side of the plate or serve it in a sauce bow.

*Use another white fish. Sea bass is a firmer alternative.
**Use smaller quantities when going for ta lighter alternative. See recipe.

Provençal redfish stew @ microwave

For ➍
4 200 g redfish fillets
4 tomatoes
4 shallots
250 g mushrooms
2 zucchini
1 red pepper
2 cloves of garlic
10 cl olive oil
roux (optional)
1 ts herbes de Provence
2 tbs chopped parsley
salt & pepper

Drop the tomatoes in boiling water, cool immediately in cold water. Peel and remove the seeds. Cut the flesh into strips. Chop the shallots finely. Crush the garlic. Cut the mushrooms, zucchini and bell pepper into cubes .
Coat a microwave bowl with olive oil. Cover the bottom with the shallots, garlic and mixed herbs. Season with salt and pepper, cover and heat 4 m at 750 W.
Add the sliced ​​tomatoes, diced mushrooms, zucchini and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper and cook 3 m at 850 W. Coat another microwave bowl with olive oil. Spread the fillets evenly and cover with the vegetables. Cover and heat 6 m at 850 W. Let stand for 2 m. Bind with a light roux.*
Serve on warm plates. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with pasta or fried rice.

*Discard the roux to get a more ratatouille side-dish.

Blackened redfish

For ➍
4 redfish fillets (1.5 -20cm thick)
300 g unsalted melted butter
1 tbs sweet paprika
2½ ts salt
1 ts onion powder
1 ts garlic powder
1 ts ground cayenne pepper
¾ ts ground white pepper
¾ ts ground black pepper
½ ts dried thyme leaves
½ ts dried oregano leaves

Heat a cast iron skillet over very high heat at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pour 2 tbs of melted butter in each of 4 small dishes; set aside and keep warm. Reserve the remaining butter in its skillet. Heat the serving plates in the oven at 120°C.
Thoroughly combine the spices in a small bowl. Dip each fillet in the reserved melted butter so that both sides are well coated; then sprinkle seasoning mix generously and evenly on both sides of the fillets, patting by hand.
Place in the hot skillet and pour 1 ts melted butter on top of each fillet (be careful as the butter may flame up). Cook, uncovered over the same high heat until the underside looks charred, about 2 m (the time will vary according to the fillet’s thickness and the heat of the skillet). Turn the fish over and again pour 1 ts butter on top; cook until fish is done, about 2 m more. Repeat with remaining fillets. Serve each fillet while piping hot.
To serve, place fillet and a ramekin of butter on each heated serving plate.

Filets de rouget à l'antillaise (Antilles red mullet)

For ➍
6 fillets of fresh mullet/ redfish
1 small chilli (dried or fresh hot 'piment oiseau', 'bird's eye' , or Spanish chilli)
2 cloves of garlic
4 onion
½ can pineapple (no syrup), or a small pineapple, slices drained & chopped
1 lime
1 tbs grated coconut
4 tbs oil
salt

Heat 2 tbs oil in a skillet. Add the onions and chopped garlic, 3-4 m on low heat. Add pineapple slices. Sprinkle crumbled chilli over it and cook 5 m over medium heat.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan. Grill fillets 2 ms on each side. Salt and place them on the pineapple mix. Cover and cook for 2 m.
Off the heat, add the lime juice and the grated coconut.
Serve with riz créole.

'Piment oiseau' (birds' pepper) is called after the small birds who like to pick the small red peppers in Cameroun. It is one of the strongest chillies available (9 on the Scoville scale). One of the most common mistakes is to cut the peppers into 2 and put only half to make it less strong: the "spice" is in the seeds, it will have the opposite effect.
Attach a chilli to a string, soak in your dish, and remove it after a few minutes.

Redfish with endives & ginger

For ➍
600 g redfish fillets
600 g endives
16 new potatoes
1 tbs ginger paste
1 tbs honey
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
flour
salt & pepper

Cut the chicory into chunks. Cook for 3 m in olive oil. Add the ginger and let simmer for 3 m. Add a few drops of balsamic vinegar and let stew. Mix honey through the endives. Season with salt and pepper.
Boil new potatoes  and drain. Fry them un a little oil until golden.
Season the redfish fillets, rub them in flour. Fry in olive oil until crisp.
Arrange the endives on the plate, put the redfish fillet on it, the potatoes beside it.
Decorate with strips of blanched leek, carrot (and pepper) and a half a braised endive.

Sea bass with porcini & cauliflower

For ➍
4 sea bass fillets with skin, each 200 g (or redfish or cod)
125 g dried porcini mushrooms
1 small cauliflower (or broccoli)
butter
olive oil
salt & pepper
1 slice smoked ham
1 chopped shallot
1 finely crushed clove of garlic
½ glass of dry white wine
2.5 dl fish stock
1.25 dl cream
thyme, bay

Soak the porcini mushrooms in water and let it drain thoroughly. Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil with the chopped shallot , garlic and chopped ham.
Deglaze with the white wine. Add the fish stock , thyme , bay leaves and cream. Reduce to half . Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Grind the cooked sauce in a blender. Press them through a fine sieve.*
Divide the cauliflower into florets. Boil briefly in water and cook them further in some butter. Season with salt and pepper.
Steam (or poach ) the sea bass fillets with the skin side down. Count about 10 m.**
Divide the porcini on 4 warm plates. Place the fish on top. Arrange the cauliflower florets around and spoon the sauce over the fish. Garnish with parsley, some dried rose berries and a cooked crayfish.

*Or serve the mushrooms without grinding.
**Or cook in the microwave: 1 m/100 g.

Redfish with fennel & pastis

For ➍
4 redfish fillets*
2 fennel bulbs
1 onion, coarsely chopped
5 cl/ 3 tbs olive oil
1 lime, sliced
parsley to taste, finely chopped
chervil to taste, finely chopped
basil to taste, finely chopped
coriander to taste, finely chopped
4 tbs pastis

Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Wash the fennel and remove the outer leaves. Cut the fennel into strips.
Sauté the onion and fennel briefly in the olive oil and toss them in a baking dish.
Season the redfish fillets with salt and pepper and put on the vegetables. Drizzle a little olive oil. Put a few slices of lime on the fish. Put the baking dish in the oven for 20 m.
Meanwhile, chop the parsley, chervil, basil and coriander.
Take the dish from the oven, pour the pastis on the redfish and sprinkle with green herbs.

*Dutch: roodbaars

Monkfish with samphire @ wok

For ➋
30 cl fish stock
2 chunks monkfish, 200 g each*
150 g samphire
15 g butter
pepper

Heat the stock. Put the fish in the stock, for 8 to 10 m. Avoid boiling.***
Clean the samphire with fresh water. Remove all brown stalks.
Heat the butter in a wok. Put the samphire in. Stir and fry for 4 m.****
Sprinkle some pepper on the fish. Put the fish on the samphire. Serve with mashed potatoes.

*Use redfish or any firm white fish instead.
**Alternatively, cook in the microwave with just a sprinkle of stock.
***You can slice a few shallots, melt butter, stir and fry for 1 m, add samphire and stir and fry for 2 to 4 m.

Samphire was originally called 'sampierre' after the French 'Saint-Pierre', Saint Peter, the patron of the fishermen. Samphire grows mainly in salty, rocky places and marshes along the Northern shores of Europe.
In French it is called salicot, salicorne or passe-pierre, as the varieties have different names.
Read more monkfish recipes: anglerfish in gueuze.
Read more sea vegetables recipes.