serves
2
prep
15 minutes
cook
15 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
2
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
15
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 80 ml olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 small bulbs of fennel, each cut into 4 wedges
- 2 sprigs parsley
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 tbsp pernod
- 80 ml dry white wine
- a pinch of saffron
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 350 g (12 oz) gurnard fillets
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 140°C/280°F/Gas 2.
Heat half the olive oil in an ovenproof dish. Stir in the shallots and garlic, then add the fennel wedges and cook for 2 minutes. Add the parsley and thyme and stir well. Add the pernod and wine and bring to the boil. Add the saffron and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.
Top with the fish fillets, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the fish and bake in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the fish is almost cooked. Transfer the fish to a warm dish.
Remove the fennel wedges from the dish and blend to a purée. Strain the tomato sauce.
Spoon a little fennel purée onto two plates. Top with a fish fillet and coat with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Photography by Benito Martin
Styling by Jerrie-Joy Redman-Lloyd
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
