Sea bass with tarka dhal, coriander salad and buttered kale
Item 1 of 1
- medium
- 4
- 60 minutes
Dominic Chapman pairs the delicate flavour of sea bass with the punch of Indian spices with his tarka dhal recipe. An aromatic mixture of soft yellow lentils cooked slowly with toasted spices including cumin, coriander and ginger, the dhal is finished with fresh cherry tomatoes and coriander for balance.
First published in 2016
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Sea bass
- 2 sea bass fillets, each cut in half to give 4 portions
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 knob of butter
- lemon juice
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Tarka dhal
- 600g of yellow lentils
- 150g of large ripe tomato
- 5g of cumin seeds
- 3g of coriander seeds
- 5g of curry powder
- 1 pinch of turmeric
- 1 pinch of ground ginger
- 5g of salt
- 150g of onion, finely chopped
- 25g of garlic, finely grated
- 10g of finely grated ginger
- 10g of red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 800ml of hot water
- 40g of butter
- 150g of cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 15g of fresh coriander, chopped
- olive oil
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Coriander salad
- 1 bunch of micro coriander shoots
- 1 tomato
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cucumber, deseeded and thinly sliced
- olive oil
- lemon juice
Buttered kale
- 400g of kale
- 50g of butter
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
SAVE RECIPE
Method
1
Before starting, soak the yellow lentils for the tarka dhal in cold water for 30 minutes
- 600g of yellow lentils
2
Meanwhile, blanch the large tomatoes in boiling water for a few seconds then drain and cool. Peel and discard the skins then dice the flesh and set aside
- 150g of large ripe tomato
3
Add a dash of olive oil to a pan set over a medium heat. When hot, add the cumin and coriander seeds and fry until lightly browned and aromatic
- olive oil
- 5g of cumin seeds
- 3g of coriander seeds
4
Add the rest of the dry spices and salt to the pan and cook out for 2 minutes – if it looks like the spices might start to catch and burn, add a splash of water to loosen
- 5g of curry powder
- 1 pinch of turmeric
- 1 pinch of ground ginger
- 5g of salt
5
Stir in the reserved diced tomatoes along with the chopped onion, garlic, ginger and chilli. Cook for another 5 minutes to create a thick sauce, again adding a splash of water if needed to prevent it catching
- 150g of onion, finely chopped
- 25g of garlic, finely grated
- 10g of finely grated ginger
- 10g of red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
6
Drain the soaked lentils and add to the pan. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly so that they are evenly coated in the spiced mixture
7
Add 300ml of the hot water, stirring in until fully absorbed by the lentils. Keep adding the wtaer, a ladle at a time, as if making a risotto. Once all the water has been absorbed, the lentils should be soft with a smooth consistency
- 800ml of hot water
8
Mix in the butter to give a silky finish and adjust the seasoning to taste. Keep warm while preparing the fish and salads
9
For the salad, blanch the tomato in boiling water then cool and peel. Remove the seeds then cut into thin slices
- 1 tomato
10
Toss together with the red onion and cucumber slices and a good splash of olive oil and lemon juice to dress, before mixing in the coriander shoots
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cucumber, deseeded and thinly sliced
- olive oil
- lemon juice
- 1 bunch of micro coriander shoots
11
To cook the sea bass, add a drizzle of oil to a non-stick frying pan and place over a medium heat. Place the fillet portions skin-side down in the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 sea bass fillets, each cut in half to give 4 portions
12
Flip the sea bass over carefully then add a knob of butter to the pan and baste the fish as it melts. Remove from the pan and season with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving
13
Blanch the kale in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and toss with the butter and a little seasoning to coat, squeezing out any excess liquid before serving
- 400g of kale
- 50g of butter
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
14
Mix the quartered cherry tomatoes and chopped coriander through the warm dhal then divide between serving plates. Add a mound of the buttery kale and top with the sea bass. Garnish with the coriander salad and a drizzle of olive oil to serve
- 150g of cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 15g of fresh coriander, chopped
First published in 2016
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