1: Trim the fronds from the fennel bulbs, chop them and set aside for garnish. Cut each fennel bulb into 8 wedges.

2: Place a large frying pan (one that has a lid) over a medium heat and add half the butter. Once it is melted and foaming, add the fennel wedges to the pan and sauté for 2–3 minutes on each side until light golden brown. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to a very low simmer and put the lid on the pan. Braise the fennel for about 10 minutes or until it is tender.

3: For the curried mussels, put a sauté pan over a high heat. Add the mussels, pour in the wine and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Shake the pan a little and let the mussels steam for about 8 minutes until all the shells have opened.

4: Drain the mussels in a fine sieve set over a bowl to catch the mussel liquor. When they are cool enough to handle, prise out the mussels and discard the shells.

5: Melt the 20g butter in the now-empty sauté pan over a medium-high heat. When the butter is starting to foam, add the shallots and garlic and cook for 3–4 minutes. Sprinkle in the curry powder and stir well for 1 minute.

6: Add the reserved mussel liquor to the sauté pan and let it bubble to reduce by half, then pour in the cream and simmer until the sauce thickens. Taste the sauce to see if it needs some seasoning (the mussel liquor may have contributed enough salt). Add the shelled mussels back to the pan to warm through.

7: Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Season the sea bass fillets on both sides with salt and pepper and lightly dust all over with flour.

8: Add the olive oil to the frying pan and when it’s hot, lay the sea bass fillets in the pan, skin side down. Press down on each fillet for about 5 seconds to stop the skin from curling. Leave to cook on the skin side for around 3 minutes and then flip the fillets over and add the remaining 25g butter to the pan. Cook the fish for 2 minutes on the other side.

9: Transfer the sea bass fillets to warmed plates and spoon the braised fennel alongside. Spoon the curried mussels over the sea bass and scatter over the reserved fennel fronds to serve.