Pan-Fried Sea Bream with Harissa & Rose

Ingredients

 
 
 
 
3 tbsp harissa paste
2sea bream or bass fillets
 2 tbsp plain flour, for dusting
2 tbspolive oil
2medium onions, finely chopped
100mlred wine vinegar
1 tspground cinnamon
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp rosewater
60gcurrants (optional)
2 tbsproughly chopped coriander (optional)
2 tspsmall dried edible rose petals
salt and black pepper

Method

First marinate the fish. Mix together half the harissa paste, the ground cumin and ½ a teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Rub the paste all over the fish fillets and leave them to marinate for 2 hours in the fridge.

Dust t he fillets with a little flour and shake off the excess. Heat the olive oil in a wide frying pan, placed on a medium–high heat, and fry the fillets for 2 minutes on each side. You may need to do this in two batches. Set the fish aside, leave the oil in the pan and add the onions. Stir as you cook for about 8 minutes until the onions are golden.

Add the remaining harissa, vinegar, cinnamon, ½ a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Pour in 200ml of water, reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer away gently for 10–15 minutes until quite thick.

Add the honey and rosewater to the pan along with the currants, if using, and simmer gently for a couple more minutes. Taste to adjust the seasoning and then return the fish fillets to the pan; you can slightly overlap them if they don’t quite fit. Spoon the sauce over the fish and leave them to warm up in the simmering sauce for 3 minutes; you may need to add a few tablespoons of water if the sauce is very thick. Serve warm, or at room temperature, sprinkled with the coriander, if using, and rose petals.