Tony Beales, managing director of the multi award-winning Beales Gourmet at The Italian Villa, shares his summer sea bass recipe with Seven Days readers

Pan seared sea bass with crushed Jersey Royals, green beans, confit tomato and basil dressing

  • 2 x 350-500g whole sea bass (or 4 fillets with the skin on and scales removed)
  • 500g Jersey Royal potatoes
  • 15 ripe cherry tomatoes on the vine
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 packet baby basil (or normal basil if you can’t find baby basil)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp of grain mustard
  • 300g green beans
  • 100g garlic butter
  • 30g fresh breadcrumbs
  • Seasoning

Wash the potatoes and cook in slightly salted water. Clean and fillet your fish (don’t waste any) and remove all the small bones.

Cut the fillets in half and score the skin with a sharp knife. Set aside for cooking at the last minute.

For the sauce, wash and dry the tomatoes, remove the husk.

Cut in half and cover with good quality olive oil. Add half a finely chopped shallot and leave somewhere warm for an hour or so to infuse.

Add plenty of baby basil just before serving.

Drain the potatoes and crush gently with a fork (you are not making mash) add some grain mustard and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Trim and cook the green beans with a slight crunch. Drain and toss in garlic butter and a few breadcrumbs just before serving, season to taste.

In a very hot non-stick pan sear the sea bass fillets in a drizzle of olive oil skin side first.

Once the skin has coloured and is crispy, turn over and cook for 2 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Do not overcook your fish!

To serve: Choose a nice plate to complement the dish (we use a long white plate).

Serve your potatoes in a ring and place the green beans neatly on top. Gently lay the sea bass fillets on top and drizzle the tomato dressing over the fish and around the plate. Simple but delicious!