Baked gurnard and fennel purée recipe (grondin rôti à la purée de fenouil)

Preheat the oven to 140°C/280°F/Gas 2.

Heat half the olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan or heavy-based roasting dish. Stir in the shallots and garlic, then add the fennel wedges and cook for 2 minutes. Add the parsley and thyme and stir well. Add the pernod and wine and bring to the boil. Add the saffron and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes.

Top with the fish fillets, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the fish and bake in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the fish is almost cooked. Transfer the fish to a warm dish.

Remove the fennel wedges from the dish and blend them to a purée. Strain the tomato sauce.

Spoon a little fennel purée onto two plates. Top with a fish fillet and coat with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

SBS cook’s notes