I came across the Dark Days Challenge on the Urban Hennery blog by Laura.

The challenge is to eat at least one meal a week that is “SOLE”:

Sustainable
Organic
Local
Ethical

It sounded straightforward, but when I went shopping I realised how hard it can be. Many organic products in my local shops were imported, so they weren’t truly local or sustainable in transport terms. The selection of organic items where I live was limited.

After a little thought I discovered I already had suitable ingredients at home. The result was a pleasant surprise: a kind of fish and chips, but better.

Roasted sea bass and potatoes recipe

Ingredients for the fish

Here’s the main ingredient, a beautiful sea bass.

It was caught locally a couple of months ago by line around Anglesey by my friend Gareth. That’s about as local as you can get, and as a wild-caught fish it feels in the spirit of “organic.” I froze it as soon as I received it. Beneath the fish in the photo are sprigs of prostrate rosemary from my garden.

I also used an onion, garlic and thyme flavoured olive oil leftover from making fish confit the previous day.

Method for the fish

Preheat a fan oven to 230°C (450°F).

Tear off a sheet of foil large enough to make a parcel and lightly oil the surface.

Season the fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Place the fish on the foil with a sprig of rosemary underneath, two sprigs inside the cavity and one on top. Spoon the flavoured oil generously over the fish. Seal the foil parcel and place it in a roasting tin.

Cook in the oven for 30 minutes, then let the fish rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.

The Potatoes

Here’s my foolproof method for crispy roast potatoes. Use floury, mature potatoes for best results; in the UK I prefer King Edward or Maris Piper. Put the shallow baking tray you will use into the oven to warm when you start preheating for the fish. A shallow tray helps the potatoes roast rather than steam.

Peel and parboil the potatoes in a covered pan for 5 minutes. Drain and return them to the pan, cover and shake the pan so the edges of the potatoes become roughened. This increases surface area and creates the crunchy bits that crisp up in the oven.

Pour just enough oil or fat onto the very hot tray from the oven to coat the potatoes; too much fat will make them steam instead of roast. I used olive oil. Toss the potatoes in the oil, then season with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven. In my fan oven they take about 40 minutes; times may vary so check and turn them halfway through cooking.

When done correctly you’ll have potatoes that are crisp and golden on the outside and fluffy inside.

Cook the potatoes before the fish; both can share the same oven.

My veg – tarragon runner beans

I had runner beans from the 2009 harvest, blanched and frozen at the time. They only needed reheating and a simple dressing. For the dressing I used extra virgin olive oil and tarragon vinegar made from tarragon grown in the polytunnel.

Place the frozen beans in a saucepan, cover with boiling water and bring to a simmer for about 3 minutes. Drain, then toss with roughly a tablespoon each of olive oil and tarragon vinegar, and season to taste. Mix to combine.

The result

The fish developed a lovely “chip shop” texture and flavour, complemented by salty roast potatoes and the tangy tarragon vinegar on the runner beans. The plate offered pleasing contrasts of texture and flavour. It’s a simple, satisfying meal you can have on the table in under an hour from starting.

Buon appetito!