Sea bass fillet with pumpkin compote and beurre blanc

Ingredients

• 2 sea bass fillets (with skin, approx. 180 g each)
• Splash of sunflower oil
• Salt and white pepper
• For the pumpkin compote:
• 400 g butternut squash
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 15 g butter
• 100 ml chicken stock
• 1 tsp honey
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• For the beurre blanc:
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 150 g cold butter, cubed
• A few drops of lemon juice
• Salt and white pepper
• Fresh chervil or chives for garnish

Instructions

1. 1

   Pumpkin compote: Peel the pumpkin and cut into 2 cm cubes. Heat a knob of butter in a saucepan and sweat the shallot over medium heat until translucent. Add the pumpkin cubes together with the chicken stock, honey and a pinch of nutmeg. Simmer gently for 20 minutes until the pumpkin is tender. Coarsely purée with an immersion blender or a fork, season with salt and pepper and keep warm.Beurre blanc: Put the dry white wine, white wine vinegar and the chopped shallot in a small saucepan. Reduce over medium heat until only a few tablespoons of liquid remain. Strain out the shallot. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the cold butter, cube by cube. Add a new cube only after the previous one has melted. Keep whisking so the sauce emulsifies. Season with salt, white pepper and, if desired, a few drops of lemon juice. Keep warm on the very lowest heat.Sea bass fillets: Pat the fillets dry with paper towels and remove any pin bones. Lightly score the skin with a sharp knife so the fillet doesn't curl in the pan. Season with salt on both sides.Heat a splash of sunflower oil in a frying pan over high heat. Place the fillets skin-side down in the pan. Press the fillets lightly with a spatula for the first 30 seconds so the skin makes even contact. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Turn and cook another 1 minute on the flesh side. Remove from the heat.Plating: Spoon a generous dollop of pumpkin compote in the center of the plate. Place the sea bass fillet on top with the skin facing up so it stays crispy. Spoon the beurre blanc gently around it. Garnish with fresh chervil or chives and serve immediately.