Pan-fried sea bass with sformato di carote

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4.

2. For the sformato di carote: cook the carrots in boiling salted water.

3. Make a béchamel by melting the butter in a medium saucepan. When melted, add the flour to make a roux. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously.

4. Add the milk little by little, stirring well all the time. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.

5. When the carrots are done, mash them finely or purée them in a food processor.

6. Add the béchamel and two thirds of the cheese to the carrot purée and mix well. Fold in the egg whites.

7. Pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish, dot the top with a little butter and scatter over the rest of the grated cheese. Bake for around 35 minutes. The top will form a crust and underneath the carrot will be light and delicious.

8. For the sea bass: season the flour with salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Coat each sea bass fillet with the flour.

9. Heat the oil in a frying pan and put in the fish, skin-side up and sear for 2 minutes.

10. Turn the fish over, add the garlic, white wine and tomatoes. Cook for another 5-6 minutes, being very careful not to overcook the fish or it will become dry. Make sure the fish is cooked through. If the fillet you have is particularly plump and you find the pan is drying before the fish cooks, add a few splashes of fish stock and continue cooking.

11. Serve the fish with the sformato di carote and sautéed spinach, drizzled with the juices from the pan. Give each person three cherry tomatoes and a garlic clove.