Pan fried sea bream with marinated squid, courgette salad and caponata

Ingredients;

For the Caponata;                                              

2 aubergines, peeled and cut into 1cm dice    
Olive oil  
1 onions, finely diced     
2 cloves of garlic crushed  
2 sticks of celery, diced    
75ml tomato paste   
100ml red wine vinegar
1tblsp caster sugar  
10 black olives, pitted and chopped  
25g capers
1 cup of mixed parsley, basil and tarragon chopped 
Cracked black pepper 
Seasoning


For the squid;  
6 small squid tubes cleaned and cut into 2cm strips 
1tblsp pink peppercorns crushed  
2tblsp extra virgin olive oil   
juice of 1 lemon 
1tblsp basil chopped 
Seasoning to taste


4 fillets of sea bream pin boned season to taste
2 courgettes cut into thin slices with a mandolin 
extra virgin olive oil 
1 tomato peeled, seeded and diced  
12 black olives cut into pieces   
basil leaves to garnish

Method;

For the caponata;

Salt the aubergines for 1 hour then rinse well and pat dry. Heat a generous amount of oil in a large pan and fry the aubergine in batches over high heat until golden brown, remove to a pepper towel and drain. In a large pan heat some olive oil and add the onions, garlic and celery, cook until browned then stir in the tomato paste and continue to cook for 5mins. Pour the vinegar and the sugar into the pan and cook until the sugar dissolves. Add the aubergine, olives and capers to the pan and simmer for 30mins, remove from the stove and add the herbs, allow to cool and store until ready for use.

For the squid;

Place the squid into a small bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients, season to taste and allow to marinate for 30mins.

Place a pan over medium heat and add a little oil, slip the bream into the pan skin side down and cook for 1-2mins or until the skin is crisp. Turn the fish over in the pan and remove from the heat, the residual heat in the pan will continue to cook the bream.

Place the courgette slices onto a tray and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil season well and place the tray under a low grill, cook for a couple of minutes just to soften the courgettes.

Warm 4 large serving plates, arrange the courgette strips on the plates, scatter over the diced tomato, olives, marinated squid and basil leaves. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and a little lemon juice, season to taste and place the bream on top. Spoon some of the caponata to the side and serve at once.

To Serve;