Ingredients
320g ripe tomatoes
200g new potatoes
2 aubergines (250g each)
2 courgettes
2 red onions (320g)
2 mixed-colour peppers
6 sprigs of woody herbs
3 cloves of garlic
1 stick of cinnamon
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon baby capers in brine
6 green olives, stone in
2 lemons
2 x 400g whole sea bream, scaled, gutted, fins removed, from sustainable sources
1 bunch of soft herbs (30g), such as flat-leaf parsley, basil, mint, fennel tops
Method
- Light the barbecue (see pages 16–19 of BBQ). Place the tomatoes and potatoes (halving any larger ones) on the medium zone. Halve the aubergines and courgettes lengthways, peel and quarter the onions, tear open and deseed the peppers, then grill it all for 20 minutes, or until charred and softened, turning regularly and removing to a board once done.
- Strip and chop the woody herb leaves. Peel and finely slice the garlic. Place it all in a large shallow cast-iron casserole pan with the cinnamon, fennel seeds and capers. Destone and tear in the olives, use a speed peeler to strip in the lemon peel and add 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
- When all the veg is off the grill, place the pan on the medium zone for 5 minutes, or until sizzling and the garlic is just starting to colour. Meanwhile, scrape away any larger bits of blackened skin from the peppers, then roughly chop with the tomatoes, potatoes, aubergines, courgettes and onions. Scrape it all into the pan, add a splash of water, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Carefully transfer the pan to the cool zone and leave to cook until soft and a pleasure to eat, while you prep and cook the fish.
- Slice ½ a lemon and stuff into the fish cavities with half the soft herbs. Generously season the fish with sea salt, then grill on the hot zone with the lid on, vents open, for 20 minutes, or until just cooked through – to check, go to the thickest part up near the head, and if the flesh is opaque and pulls easily away from the bone, it’s done. Meanwhile, pound up the remaining soft herbs in a pestle and mortar, muddle in 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon, to taste.
- Remove the fish to a plate, let it cool a little, then use two forks to gently coax the fillets away from the fish, removing any bones as you go. Squeeze over the juice of ½ a lemon. Remove the cinnamon from the stew, season to perfection, and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Serve with the herb oil.
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