Wild Seabass is undoubtedly seafood royalty - A fast-swimming sleek-muscled silver predator who has traditionally enjoyed iconic status in the Cornish fishing industry. These superb filleted portions, paired with a deliciously light Pea & Pancetta Puree from the hardworking chefs in our seafood kitchen, make a simple, yet sublime, supper for two.
Your Kit Includes:
2 x 140g Fillet Portions of Wild Seabass (supplied frozen)
1 x 150g Pea and Pancetta Puree
Pea & Pancetta Puree Ingredients (ALLERGENS in UPPER CASE):
Peas, Pancetta (not suitable for vegetarians), BUTTER (MILK), Salt & Pepper
Method:
- Defrost the Seabass fillets, drain and dry them on some kitchen paper or similar.
- Oil & season the fish and pre-heat a dry non-stick pan over a medium heat.
- Place the Seabass skin side down in the pan and cook for 6minutes.
- Turn the fillets over and cook for a further minute.
- Whilst the Seabass is cooking, place the Pea Puree in a bowl, and heat in a microwave oven for 2 mins until hot.
- Finish by placing the Seabass atop of the Pea Puree.
- Serve with roasted Cornish new potatoes and roasted wedges of onion and carrot with garlic and thyme.
For 20 years, a virtual absence of management of the Seabass fishery in the North-East Atlantic saw widespread over-fishing and eventually culminated in 2016 with a "Zero Catch" instruction being issued by the authorities, as stocks were deemed dangerously low. This radical intervention has thankfully led to a recovery for the species and while the marine biologists opine that there is still a way to go before the Seabass reaches the sort of proliferation last seen in the 1980's, the general consensus is that we are firmly on the right track.
So much so, that in September last year fishing for Seabass with hook and line, the most sustainable fishing method of all, and with strict landing size parameters to be adhered to, has been re-introduced off our coast. Cornwall also has several designated bass nursery areas within estuaries, where national legislation prohibits taking of Seabass and fishing from a boat. In addition, in 2018 Cornwall IFCA passed a byelaw banning the use of gill nets in Estuaries and rivers. Estuaries are known nursery areas and these strict measures will benefit many other native species as well as addressing concerns over the targeting of Seabass brood-stock during spawning season.
We are now seeing Bass landed at market by small hand-lining boats on most days that wind and weather allow. It is due to the sporadic nature of the landings and the resulting variability in volumes of catch, that we have decided to offer this as a frozen product to ensure continuity of supply for our customers. We will buy at market when the fish is available, scale, fillet and pinbone the fish, cut them into 140g portions and immediately blast freeze them in pairs (seabass generally freezes beautifully).