It’s already September and it definitely feels like fall. The last few days have been so dark here and the sun barely comes out. It isn’t just like good soft light outside. It’s just like extra dark. So, I have been trying to shoot my food images like usually with light white and grey background. However, it’s just almost impossible to get a good image without good lightening gear. The outside light from the window just doesn’t work. So, I switched to dark photography and tried to experiment with that. Actually, it’s a good thing, when I have to come out of my comfort zone and try something new. I should do it more often. I’m not that familiar with that kind of lightning but I tried to do my best.
The recipe I created is just a simple and elegant dish with a classic combination of fennel and fish. I remember when I first tasted fennel tea then I didn’t like it at all. I had a feeling that it would be the same inside the food. But I was wrong. I love the fennel taste in white fish. It’s just like a good compliment next to the seafood. Not to mention that fennel is a great dish for the digestive system. It’s full of vitamins, potassium and dietary fibre. It’s good for immunity, blood pressure and skin. So, if you aren’t a fan of fennel, then just try to use only a little bit to get some taste and combine the fennel with seafood. You can always put the fennel on a barbeque or try to make a puree and you will love the fennel for the rest of your life. At least that’s what I felt.
White Fish with Fennel Puree & Roasted Tomatoes
serve for 2
Ingredients
Fennel puree:
- 1 head of fresh fennel
- 2 potatoes
- 1 shallot onion or one smaller onion
- 0,5 – 0,75 litres of vegetable stock or chicken stock
- 50 – 100 ml (homemade) cashew milk
- pink Himalayan salt
- black pepper
Cook in the oven:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 7-10 cherry tomatoes
- 150- 200 g pike perch, lavaret or other local white fish
- some fennel fronds
- pink Himalayan salt
- black pepper
- 1 tsp coconut butter
For serving: baby rocket leaves or other salad leaves and rocket pesto (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven 392° F/ 200° C (on a grill).
- Peel the potatoes and clean the fennel (cut of the upper stem and bottom, discard them). Chop potatoes into cubes. Cut the fennel head in half and slice it. Dice the onion. Cook the fennel with potatoes and onion in a stock for 15 – 17 minutes until tender.
- While the fennel is cooking. Prepare the tomatoes and fish. Put the tomatoes with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper into the hot oven and roast them for about 5-7 minutes. Lower the temperature 347° F/ 175° C. Add fish next to the tomatoes. Season with salt pepper and fennel. Add coconut butter on top of the fish. Cook another 7-15 minutes depends on how thick is your fillet.
- Drain the liquid from the fennel and potatoes. Add cashew milk and blend it until smooth. Season with extra salt and pepper when needed (depends on how salty was the stock).
- Serve the fish with fennel puree, tomatoes, green salad and pesto.
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