Spiced fish with fennel, orange and herbs

Serves - 4

You’ll need

• 4 white fish fillets, such as sea bass, bream, haddock or cod
• 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and finely sliced
• 2 oranges
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated or crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Small handful dill, roughly chopped
• Small handful mint, roughly chopped
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Get the fennel started

Heat the oven to 200°C fan. Tip the sliced fennel into a roasting tin with 1 tbsp of the olive oil, a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Toss it together, spread it out, then roast for 15 minutes until it has just started to soften and catch at the edges.

2. Make the spice mixture

In a small bowl, mix the remaining olive oil with the garlic, cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. It should smell lively enough already that you feel reasonably confident about dinner.

3. Prep the orange

Finely grate a little zest from 1 orange, then peel both oranges with a knife, removing all the pith as well. Slice 1 orange into rounds and cut the other into neat segments. Keep any juices that escape along the way – they have every right to be involved.

4. Add the fish

Take the fennel out of the oven and sit the fish fillets on top. Spoon over the spice mixture, then tuck the orange slices around the fish and fennel. Return the tray to the oven for 10–12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it flakes easily and looks just cooked through.

5. Finish properly

Scatter the orange segments over the tray along with the orange zest and most of the herbs. Give the fennel a gentle toss around the fish so it picks up some of the juices without disturbing everything too much.

6. Serve

Transfer the fish, fennel and oranges to plates or a serving dish, then finish with the rest of the herbs and a final grind of black pepper. Spoon over any juices from the tray and serve straight away while everything still feels bright and fragrant.

A couple of helpful notes

- A firm white fish works best here, as it holds together nicely against the fennel and citrus.
- If you want a little more warmth, add a pinch of chilli flakes to the spice mixture.
- This is very good with couscous, crushed potatoes or simply some warm bread for catching the juices.