Pan seared fillet of Sea Bass served on a mushroom reduction ketchup, finished with sautéed shiitake mushrooms and hints of white truffle oil.

For the mushroom reduction ketchup you will need:

1 banana shallot (thinly sliced)

1 punnet of closed button mushrooms (thinly sliced)

a dash of olive oil

150ml of double cream

sea  & white pepper to taste

cap full of red wine vinegar

1. In a heavy based pan add a dash of olive oil, once up to temperature add your thinly sliced banana shallots, and cook until soft and tender with no colour.
2. To deglaze the bottom of the pan add a cap full of red wine vinegar, as this helps to remove the cooked on goodness.
3. Next add your thinly sliced button mushrooms, to the same pan and cook until tender and all of the moisture has been evaporated, as this will lead to a watery and loose sauce.
4. Once the mushrooms are ready, add your double cream, and season to taste with sea salt and freshly cracked white pepper.
5. To finish, decant into a food blender and blitz until smooth and lump free.
6. Decant into a clean sauce pan until, required later on in the cooking process.

Now for the star of the show:

1. Heat a medium sized pan, once the pan is up to temperature add a dash of Olive Oil.
2. On a clean dinner plate place the freshly filleted and descaled sea bass fillets and season with salt and pepper. Now add the sea bass fillet into the sauce pan, ensure that you lay this in away from you.
3. When cooking the fish ensure that you complete 80% of the cooking on the skin side, as this helps with even cooking and a crispy skin.
4. Once cooked remove from the pan and rest on clean plate and reserve in a warm place until required later on in the process.

Finishing touches:

1. Warm an artisan plate
2. For the shiitake mushrooms, heat a small frying pan once up to temperature add a knob of softened butter and melt until foaming a lightly coloured. Add the freshly washed shiitake mushrooms into the pan cook until soft and tender season to taste, add some freshly cooked flat leaf parsley

Lets Plate:

Onto the pre-warmed artisan plate, place a spoonful of mushroom reduction ketchup and spread across the plate with the back of the spoon. Next place the fillet of sea bass on top of the ketchup to finish add the shiitake mushrooms and a couple of drops of white truffle oil.