Donal Skehan’s Harissa Baked Fish

Harissa is a North African spice paste that provides a dark sweet heat to meat dishes, as well as depth of flavour to the classic dish shakshuka, eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. For quick recipes like this it distills the best of your spice collection into one powerful dollop to be spread over sea bass fillets. Oily fish like salmon or mackerel would also work here.

EQUIPMENT:
• large roasting tin,
• small bowl

HANDS ON TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 45 minutes
SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:
• 400g baby potatoes, halved
• 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6 spring onions, trimmed and halved
• 6 tbsp harissa paste
• Small handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
• 4 small sea bass fillets (about 150g each), skin scored

Kitchen basics
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• Sea salt and black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C (180°C).

2. Put the potatoes into a large roasting tin and drizzle with some oil and plenty of seasoning. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes.

3. Remove the roasting tin, add the tomatoes and spring onions and toss together. Drizzle all over with a little more olive oil, dot with 1 tablespoon of the harissa paste and toss again until all everything in the tray is coated. Return to the oven for a further 20–25 minutes.

4. Prepare a mint salsa by mixing the chopped mint with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the white wine vinegar (or use a squeeze of lemon juice). Season to taste and set aside.

Recipe extracted from Donal’s Meals in Minutes by Donal Skehan, published by Hodder & Stoughton, £25

Photography by Donal Skehan