Sea bass with peppers & red zhoug

For the zhoug paste heat a frying pan, then add the cumin and coriander seeds. Toast until you can smell the aroma, then take off the heat and leave to cool.

Add to a blender or food processor with the other zhoug ingredients (except the fresh herbs) and some seasoning. Blend using the pulse button. It shouldn’t be completely smooth. Stir in the herbs, then taste (add more salt or some water if it’s too strong). Cover and keep in the fridge.

Heat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Halve and deseed the peppers, put into a roasting tin and brush with 1 tbsp oil. Season, then roast until the flesh is tender, about 20 minutes. Leave to cool, then cut the peppers into strips about 0.5cm wide.

Dry the fish fillets with kitchen paper, then score the skin without cutting right through the flesh. Do this 3-4 times at 2cm intervals, then rub with the remaining oil and sprinkle salt all over.

Heat a large heavy pan and fry the fish (2 at a time if needed), skin-side down. Press the fillets as soon as they go into the pan – I use a palette knife – to stop them curling at the edges. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the flesh is cooked about ⅔ of the way through and the skin is crispy. Turn the fillets over and cook on the other side for 2 minutes more until cooked, opaque and the fish flakes easily

Divide the peppers between plates. Put the fish on top, skinside up. Drizzle a little of the sauce on the fish (offer the rest in a bowl), then serve with the coriander leaves, grains and some Greek yogurt.