Creamy Pesto Sea Bass with Roasted Tomatoes

Based on an idea from BBC Good Food - with a Mediterranean feel about this dish.

We used Red Sunblush Tomato pesto, but there are so many variations now

you could use whatever you like - and always best made yourself.

Utensils

• Chopping board
• Sharp knife
• Bowl for herbs 
• Bowl for pine nuts
• Food processor for making breadcrumbs, or if not available, rub small pieces between hands to create crumbs
• Large bowl for mixing the crust ingredients
• Deep Roasting tray

Ingredients

• 4 sea bass fillets
  
• 4 tbs pesto (we used Red Sunblush Tomato)
  
• 85g mascarpone
  
• Handful of fresh chopped parsley
  
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 100g breadcrumbs, preferably day old bread
  
• 175g baby tomatoes on the vine
  
• Handful of pine nuts
  
• Handful of basil leaves

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
   
   
2. Put a little seasoning on to the skin side of the fillets and then turn them over.
   
   
3. Mix the pesto and mascarpone then mix in the breadcrumbs and parsley and spread this mixture on to the top of the fillets with the skin side underneath the fish fillet - when you cook the fish, the skin becomes gorgeously crispy.
   
   
4. Put some olive oil into the base of your oven proof dish and lay the fillets on top.
   
   
5. Now nestle bunches of tomatoes on the vine alongside the fillets and bake in the oven for 20 - 25  minutes.
   
   
6. As soon as the topping starts to turn golden, remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle over the pine nuts and return to the oven for a further 2 -3 minutes, the nuts should turn a little golden as well.
   
   
7. Remove the dish from the oven, garnish with the basil leaves and serve with new potatoes or crusty bread.