I like to brine my fish before cooking, it flavours slightly, and keeps the fish nice and soft in the middle. Here is a quick brine for the fillets- 1 dessertspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 4 black peppercorns, a slice of onion, stems of dill and parsley (use these from your salad prep- add 200ml warm water to dissolve the slat and sugar, top up with 1L cold water, add the fillets and set your timer for 20 minutes.
Remove the fillets and pat dry. Smear lightly with a little of the olive oil, wash and dry your hands, then sprinkle the fillets all over with the rub you have made. Heat a large non-stick pan and add the remaining olive oil and brush it all over the base evenly. Once the pan is hot, almost smoking, 2 of the fillets skin side down, hold in place and fry until the edges of the flesh start to turn creamy in colour. Carefully flip the fillets over, using a palette knife, cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and leave in the pan for 2 minutes more. Have a baking tray in the oven on 55-60c only, no hotter, pop the fillets on the tray to keep warm and quickly reheat the pan and repeat with the remaining fillets.
Plate- add a dessertspoon of your hummus to each serving plate and smear it a little with the back of the spoon, top with the fish fillets. Spoon some of the lovely grape and cucumber salad next to the fish and serve with a bowl of pilaf- see my recipes.
4 bream fillets, de-boned and de-scaled
Rub- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic granules, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns (white or pink are good), 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1 flat teaspoon sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon sumac- pounded together in a mortar and pestle
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salad
200g red seedless grapes
1 medium cucumber
3 sprigs fresh dill- fonds chopped
3 sprigs fresh mint- leaves chopped
3 sprigs parsley- leaves chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed white peppercorns
3 tablespoons grape or pomegranate molasses
1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes
1/2 teaspoon sumac
4 tablespoons hummus