Crisp-skin sea bass with saffron butter

The Recipe

Serves 2  ·  40 min

Ingredients

• 2 skin-on sea bass fillets, about 150 g each
• 6 jarred artichoke hearts, drained and halved
• A pinch of saffron (about 15 threads)
• 100 ml fish or vegetable stock
• 40 g cold butter, cubed
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Warm the stock, add the saffron and let it steep for 10 minutes.
2. Reduce the saffron stock in a small pan to about 3 tablespoons. Take it off the heat and whisk in the cold butter a cube at a time, then the lemon juice. Keep it warm, not hot.
3. Pat the fish dry and season. Cook skin-side down in the olive oil over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, pressing gently for the first 20 seconds so the skin stays flat.
4. Turn the fillets for 1 minute. Rest them, skin up.
5. Brown the artichoke hearts in the same pan for 2 minutes. Plate them with the fish and spoon the saffron butter around.