A delicious and healthy mid-week meal for two. If you prefer ask your fishmonger to remove the bones or fully fillet the fish to give more space to fill with delicious herbs and lemon.
With thanks to AGA Demonstrator Naomi Hansell for this delicious recipe.
Serves 2
1 butternut squash, weighing around 750g, peeled, deseeded and thickly sliced
2 red onions, peeled and cut in to wedges
1 lemon, cut in to wedges
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and black pepper, as needed
2 whole sea bream, scaled and cleaned
4 sprigs fresh parsley
4 sprigs fresh dill
4 sprigs chervil
1 x 250g pack of ready cooked puy lentils
A few chilli flakes
Preparation Time: 20 minutes. Cooking Time: 30 minutes.
1. Place the squash, onions and lemon wedges in a bowl, sprinkle with the ground cumin, salt and pepper and toss with the olive oil.
2. Line a large baking tray with Bake-o-Glide and place the vegetables on top.
3. Place in the oven. CAST OVEN: on the 4th shelf of the roasting oven or oven on R6. FAN OVEN: preheated to R6/180°C/350°F. Roast for 15 minutes.
4. Prepare the fish by seasoning with salt and stuff the cavity with the herbs and lemon slices. Make three cuts into the flesh along the bone to help the fish cook faster.
5. Stir the lentils and chilli flakes, if using, into the vegetables and place the fish on top and return to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes until the fish is cooked through.
6. To serve, either place the whole cooked fish in the middle of the vegetables, or place it in the middle of the table and let everyone tuck in. To serve the fish as fillets, use a spoon to peel back the skin, then gently cut down the backbone and lift the fish off to the side. Place the fish pieces on top of the lentils, add a few chopped herbs and lemon and serve.
Variation: You can replace the sea bream with sea bass or for a vegetarian version, omit the fish and add sliced halloumi, olive oil and chilli flakes to the cooked vegetables and lentils then grill for a few minutes until golden. Serve with some tzatziki style dressing made with Greek yoghurt, garlic, mint and a little salt.
