Combine the oil, lemon juice, orange juice, grated orange rind and a pinch of salt & pepper in a bowl.
Add the orange sections to this mixture and toss to coat. Reserve to serve with fish.
Cook the Fennel
Start by cutting the fennel bulb in half lengthwise and discard the center core. Now slice the fennel halves crosswise into very thin slices.
In the same pan that you are going to cook the fish (nonstick is preferable), place it over medium heat to get it hot. Add the oil and let it get hot. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the onion and sauté for a couple of minutes, then add the sliced fennel. Let this cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the fennel softens.
Add the green olives, stir to combine with onion and fennel and cook for a minute or two to heat through.
Remove this mixture from pan and reserve to serve with fish. Cover the fennel mixture to keep it warm.
Cook the Sea Bass
In the same pan you cooked the fennel, add the olive oil and twirl it around to coat the pan.
Season the fish with salt and pepper and add it to the pan skin side down.
Place the pan into the oven and roast for 10 minutes or until the fish is perfectly cooked.
Carefully remove the pan from the oven and place onto stove top.
Carefully move the fish to one side of the pan, add the butter to the other side. Remember, the pan is hot so be careful. When the butter melts, tilt the pan so the butter sits at the bottom. Spoon the butter over the fish until all the butter is gone.
Plating
We served this dish with rice and grilled asparagus so I plated some rice and topped it with the asparagus. Then we plated the fennel, onion, olive mixture in the center of the plate and topped this with the sea bass. Finish the dish with the reserved orange relish. If you still have the fennel fonds, you can finely mince up them up and use them to sprinkle on the plate and on top of the finish dish.
Notes
This is a very easy and delicious meal to serve during the week or to friends on the weekend. Give it a try and let me know what you think.