Bream Fillets with White Bean Puree and Bulgar Wheat

This was lovely! It was a bit of a faff to make with lots of different elements and timing wise, but totally worth making, absolutely delicious.

Bream Fillets with White Bean Puree and Bulgar Wheat
(from Grains by Molly Brown)
(Serves 4)

120ml oil
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves
2 400g tins cannellini beans, drained
150ml chicken stock
180ml extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice, plus lemon wedges
1 fennel bulb, diced
50g tinned anchovies, drained and chopped
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp capers, rinsed
2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
1 red onion, finely chopped
100g bulgar wheat
200ml chicken or veg stock
75g pitted black olives, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp chopped parsley
700-800g bream fillets
seasoned plain flour

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a saucepan over a low-medium heat and cook the white onion until soft but not coloured. Add 1 of the garlic cloves (crushed), the beans, the chicken stock and salt and pepper. Cook over a medium heat for about 4 mins. Blitz the beans and the cooking liquid in a blender with 80ml of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Season.

To make the relish, fry the fennel in 2 tbsp of oil over a medium heat until just softening. Add 2 of the garlic cloves (chopped) and cooked for 1 min. Transfer to a bowl and add the anchovies, mint, capers, vinegar, pepper and 90ml of the extra-virgin olive oil. Stir and season. Set aside.

Saute the red onion in 1 tbsp of the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. When soft and translucent add the remaining garlic (crushed) and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the bulgar then pour over the chicken stock and season. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 mins or until all the stock has been absorbed. Ensure the bulgar doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside for 10 mins. Add the olives and fork through the bulgar with the parsley, the remaining extra-virgin olive oil and the remaining lemon juice. Season.

Dip the fish fillets in the flour and shake off any excess. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and cook the fish, skin side down, over a medium heat for 3 mins until brown. Turn over and repeat.

Put a portion of bulgar onto each plate and spoon over some bean puree. Put the fish fillets on top and top with the relish.