Alex MacKay’s Cheats’ Sea Bream with Artichokes, Tapenade and Tomatoes
– How to cheat

Alex Mackay is the very talented young chef who works with me on the food and wine workshops at Norwich City Football Club, and this quick and simple recipe is adapted from his outstandingly good book Cooking in Provence. It involves three food heroes: Black Olive Tapenade, SunBlush Tomatoes and (a wonderful tip from Alex) Asda Tinned Artichokes, which he maintains are positively the best around. The recipe, he says, brings all the flavour of Provence to the English table in minutes. Give that on a warm sunny day and what more could we want?

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 large fillets of sea bream, skinned (or sea bass, mackerel or salmon)
6 tinned baby artichokes, well drained and rinsed
4 tablespoons The Merchant Gourmet Black Olive Tapenade
4 oz (110 g) The Merchant Gourmet SunBlush tomatoes, halved
3 fl oz (75 ml) extra virgin olive oil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 x 20g pack of fresh basil (leaves only, thickly chopped)
4 tablespoons groundnut or sunflower oil, for oiling the tray
salt and freshly milled black pepper
cayenne pepper

First of all halve the artichokes lengthways, and mix these with the sunblush tomatoes, olive oil, lemon zest and juice and chopped basil. Add a seasoning of salt and freshly milled black pepper, then leave the whole to sit for a while so the flavours can get to know each other.

When you’re ready to cook, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C). Then, oil an oven tray and arrange the fish fillets on it, season with salt and cayenne pepper, and bake in the centre of the pre-heated oven for 8 minutes or so until just cooked.

Spread a tablespoon of the tapenade over each fillet, then spoon the artichoke and tomato mixture equally on to four serving plates. Top this with the sea bream and serve.

How To Cheat Hero Ingredients: