Tray-Baked Sea Bass with Asparagus and New Potatoes
Make the most of spring asparagus and new potatoes in this easy all-in-one sea bass tray bake. The recipe includes a herby homemade salsa verde dressing to drizzle over before serving.
Introduction
The perfect spring one-pan supper, which I also do with larger, whole sea bass when I can get them, but they take a little longer to cook, though not as long as you’d think. Giving someone new potatoes without something to dip them into should be a crime, so I’ve gone with a punchy, anchovy-spiked salsa verde, but any iteration of a herb-based dressing or pesto would work just as well.
Ingredients
| 1kg (2lb 4oz) | baby new potatoes, cut in half if large |
| 3 tbsp | extra virgin olive oil |
| 300g (10½oz) | asparagus, woody ends snapped and each spear cut into 2 or 3 pieces |
| 4 | sea bass fillets |
| salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| For the salsa verde | |
|---|---|
| 2 handfuls of | parsley leaves, roughly chopped |
| handful of | basil leaves, roughly chopped |
| 1 tbsp | capers (baby capers) |
| 1 tsp | Dijon mustard |
| juice of ½ large | lemon |
| 1 | anchovy (optional) |
| 6–8 tbsp | olive oil |
| small garlic clove, peeled |
Method
To make the salsa verde, tip all the ingredients together into a small food processor and blitz to a chunky paste, or for a more labour-intensive salsa, chop the herbs with the capers and anchovy (if using) on a board, then tip into a bowl and stir in the other ingredients. This sauce can be made a day ahead and kept chilled.
Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/gas 7. Tip the potatoes onto a large baking tray (pan), drizzle with the olive oil, season, and toss to coat. Roast for 25–30 minutes, turning once or twice, until golden and starting to crisp.
Once the potatoes are tender, scatter the asparagus over the tray and give it a shake, then roast for 5 minutes more.
Sit the sea bass fillets on top, skin-side up, then return the tray to the oven and roast for 10–12 minutes until the fish is just cooked through and the asparagus is tender. Spoon over the dressing and serve straight from the tray.
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