flipMediterranean Sea Bass with Fennel and Olive Oil
Mediterranean Sea Bass with Fennel and Olive Oil
Why this dish? Bruyas, wealthy but of fragile health, lived a stone's throw from the Mediterranean; fresh fish, reputed to be light and digestible, suited the diets prescribed by his doctors. Grilled sea bass with fennel is the quintessential Languedoc dish at the table of a notable from the Hérault.
A whole sea bass, perfumed with wild fennel and drizzled with olive oil, gently cooked to preserve its pearly flesh. The dish of a delicate man who feeds on the nearby sea.
You see, my friend, my constitution has never tolerated the heavy stews of the North. Here in Montpellier, the sea offers us its gift every morning: this bass, we lay it on a bed of fennel picked in the garrigue, we drizzle it with a golden oil pressed two leagues from here, and we let it barely kiss the embers. It is an honest man's food, clear as a well-lit canvas. My doctor approves, and my palate even more so.
- •Whole sea bass — one fine fish (centerpiece)
- •Wild fennel (stalks and seeds) — a handful (flavoring)
- •Languedoc olive oil — as needed (fat, binder)
- •Lemon — two (acidity)
- •Thyme and bay leaf — a few sprigs (aromatics)
- •Camargue salt — to taste (seasoning)
Mediterranean Sea Bass with Fennel and Olive Oil
A whole sea bass, perfumed with wild fennel and drizzled with olive oil, gently cooked to preserve its pearly flesh. The dish of a delicate man who feeds on the nearby sea.
Why this dish? Bruyas, wealthy but of fragile health, lived a stone's throw from the Mediterranean; fresh fish, reputed to be light and digestible, suited the diets prescribed by his doctors. Grilled sea bass with fennel is the quintessential Languedoc dish at the table of a notable from the Hérault.
You see, my friend, my constitution has never tolerated the heavy stews of the North. Here in Montpellier, the sea offers us its gift every morning: this bass, we lay it on a bed of fennel picked in the garrigue, we drizzle it with a golden oil pressed two leagues from here, and we let it barely kiss the embers. It is an honest man's food, clear as a well-lit canvas. My doctor approves, and my palate even more so.
Ingredients (period version)
- Whole sea bass — one fine fish (centerpiece)
- Wild fennel (stalks and seeds) — a handful (flavoring)
- Languedoc olive oil — as needed (fat, binder)
- Lemon — two (acidity)
- Thyme and bay leaf — a few sprigs (aromatics)
- Camargue salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Whole sea bass (European bass), gutted and scaled — 1, 800 g to 1 kg (centerpiece)
- Fennel bulb + fennel seeds — 1 bulb + 1 teaspoon (flavoring)
- Extra virgin olive oil — 5 tablespoons (fat)
- Lemon — 2 (acidity)
- Thyme, bay leaf — 3 sprigs + 2 leaves (aromatics)
- Salt and pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Slice the fennel bulb and arrange it in a dish with a drizzle of oil.
- Score the fish on the flanks, salt the inside, and stuff the cavity with lemon slices, thyme, and bay leaf.
- Place the sea bass on the fennel bed, sprinkle with fennel seeds, and generously drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, basting halfway through, until the flesh flakes easily.
- Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon and the melted fennel garnish.
How it was made : In the 19th century, fish grilled over vine shoots or dried fennel embers was the coastal cooking method par excellence. Without refrigeration, it was prepared the same day it was caught; fennel both masked and enhanced the marine freshness.
The contemporary twist : Plate the bass as fillets on the plate, with crunchy raw fennel in a light pickle, like a still life by Courbet: sober, luminous, Mediterranean.
Alfred Bruyas · Charactorium
