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Margot Henderson’s Recipe for Oven-Roasted Sea Bass With Fennel and Leeks

ON A !"#$ street—behind an unmarked door, in what was once a school’s bicycle shed—lies Rochelle Canteen.

Clued-in Londoners flock there for Margot Henderson’s unretentious cooking that deftly follows the lead of the

 best ingredients a!ailable.

"#t’s a $oy to let ingredients seak for themsel!es and to follow the seasons—which e!eryone bangs on about,% said

Ms. Henderson with characteristic candor. "&ut if you actually do it, the menus write themsel!es.% #n her first 'low

(ood (ast contribution, a sil!ery sea bass is left whole and nestled into a ile of saut)ed fennel, shallots, celery and

leeks—a simle resentation that makes the most of winter’s narrow alette of roduce.

*i!ing the !egetables an initial saut) in oli!e oil and white wine and dotting the fish with a few knobs of butter

kees them luscious all the way through roasting, without uending the well-considered comosition. +hen asked if 

carrots or tomatoes could go into the an, Ms. Henderson demurred. "#t would be awful to add something red,% she

said. "hese green and white !egetables seak to the fish.%

'he did recommend a side of boiled new otatoes, for utility’s sake. " boiled otato hels mo u all theunctuousness,% she said. "Moing u is art of the leasure.%

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ cup olive oil

• 1 fennel bulb, halved and sliced ½-inch thick

• 1 large leek, halved and sliced ½-inch thick

• 2 shallots, sliced ½-inch thick

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 large celery stick, sliced ½-inch thick

• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves

• ¼ cup white wine

• 2 whole sea bass (about 2 pounds, scaled and gutted

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

• ! tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• " small new potatoes

%& reheat o!en to /01 degrees. &ring a medium ot of salted water to a boil o!er high heat.

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'& Meanwhile, heat 2 tablesoons oil in a large an o!er medium heat. 'aut) fennel, leeks,

shallots, garlic, celery and thyme until $ust soft but not colored, about 0 minutes. dd wine and

simmer until reduced, 2-/ minutes. 'eason with salt. ransfer !egetables to a roasting an that

will hold fish snugly.

(& 'eason fish with remaining oil, a s3uee4e of lemon $uice and a generous inch each of salt and

 eer. 5estle fish into !egetables in roasting an and dot to of fish with butter. Roast until

flesh is $ust cooked through, flaky and easily slides off bone, 21-20 minutes.

)& Meanwhile, add otatoes to boiling water and cook until tender, 60 minutes. 'train, hal!e

 otatoes and season with salt.

*& 'er!e fish on to of saut)ed !egetables and an driings, with boiled otatoes alongside.

*arnish with lemon wedges.