Fish with fennel and ratatouille

"Fishy Fridays" are so much easier here in France, the fishmongers' counters are teeming with wonderful fresh fish for the weekend.

Sometimes, having spent a month in Brittany,  I feel I've eaten too much crab and lobster and a simple piece of white fish, such as a locally caught sustainable pollack is the best option for a family supper

We bought a beautiful piece of filleted fish, and took it home to eat.  I cooked it with a ratatouille made with Breton courgettes, some French peppers, and tomatoes, as well as delicious onions grown just down the road.

Plain rice was all that was needed to complete the meal.

You will note the greenery on the fish, this is wild fennel.  While the ratatouille simmered gently on the stove, my daughter and I popped out,  with a pair of scissors,  to the sand dunes, and we cut some gorgeous fennel.  I used a few stalks under the fish, some  more on top, and as the fish baked in the oven the fennel gently infused the fish, adding a delicate but distinctive flavour.

I used my own garden grown rosemary and thyme to enhance the flavours of the ratatouille.  All these delicious fresh herbs (both wild and cultivated)  complement this simple meal perfectly.

I'll be entering this dish into Karen (Lavender and Lovage)'s Herbs on Saturday challenge.

Sorry Karen, I wasn't sure which icon to use, so I've added both to my post, let me know if you need me to remove one or the other, and which you'd prefer in future months. 

Beautiful locally caught fish

Jewel like colours

Fresh herbs being added with the courgettes

Simmering gently

A hillside of wild fennel

A fragrant handful

A layer of fennel

Then the fish, more fennel and a little butter

Once it's baked in the oven it smells amazing

Rice and ratatouille

I love the fact that the vegetables retain their flavour, and
their colour

This would be a super meal to serve if you had one or more
vegetarians to cook for, it looks pretty perfect as is

However, the addition of some fish....

Mmm! Perfect