I have had a busy food blogging week attending & helping out Hannah, founder of Chicp (chicp.co.uk) at BBC Good Food Festive Fayre held in the spectacular and historic Hampton Court Palace, King Henry VIII’s former hunting lodge, on Richmond Upon Thames, Greater London. I also visited my favourite  food market area – Maltby Street (Ropewalk) & Druid Street in Bermondsey as my foodie friend Meredith (foodatheart.co.uk) was showcasing her vegan chocolates for the first time at the market. I  find these events inspiring as I get to meet some interesting people, finding about their food journey & tasting their craft foods. I will be writing about Chicp and some other artisans in 2017, so watch this space. Back to beer and food pairing with pick #2: Sour Dry Hop Ale (4.9% APV) by Anspach & Hobday (@AnspachHobday, anspachandhobday.com), who are based in Druid Street, Southwark,  London SE1 2HH in a railway arch next to the market. Thanks again to Lee from @beerasylum for the beer pick which is refreshingly citrus and tart, typical of a sour ale that is becoming more popular in the USA & UK. I decided to pair with Mediterranean roasted sea bass, which is easy to prepare & cook and makes a healthy meal.

Recipe (serves 1-2)

•  Fresh whole sea bass, cleaned & gutted, leaving head & tail on( a small one serves 1, medium for 2)
• 1 teaspoon of good quality olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and sliced
• fresh herbs: rosemary, lemon thyme, bayleaf (from my garden)
• freshly ground sea salt & black pepper
• 2 slices & 1 wedge of lemon

Method

Sea Bass ready to roast

• Heat the oven to 180C fan (356 F)
• Rub a little olive oil over the skin, on each side
• Season the inside & outside of the fish with salt & pepper
• Stuff the fish with a few slice of garlic, herbs and 2 slices of lemon
• Make 2-3 slits on each side of the fish
• stuff a small sprig of rosemary & a slice of garlic in each slit
• Put the fish in an oven proof dish drizzled with a little olive oil
• Roast the fish for 20 minutes
• Remove from the oven, cover with foil & leave for 5-10 minutes to finish cooking

To serve squeeze a little lemon over the fish. You can eat as is or remove the skin or fish for those that don’t like to see the head & tail! I serve with a simple salad of fresh spinach, tomato cucumber & a few olives, dressed with olive oil & sherry vinegar.

My Mediterranean roasted sea bass and Anspach & Hobday sour dry hop ale –  a tasty, match!