DUBAI: Chef Elias of Dubai’s La Maison Ani shares the recipe for a refined Mediterranean dish that highlights simplicity, balance and freshness.

Roasted seabass 
2 seabass fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
2 tbsp olive oil 
¾ cup tomato sauce
2 tsp lemon juice 
1 tbsp capers 
½ small yellow courgette, thinly sliced 
¼ small green courgette, thinly sliced 
Fresh basil leaves 
Fresh chives
Lemon zest

Sumac rice 
¾ cup cooked sumac rice

Tomato sauce 
2 cups diced ripe tomatoes (fresh or canned) 
½ small white onion, finely diced 
1 small garlic clove, minced 
3 tbsp olive oil 
2 bay leaves 
2 tsp sugar 
¾ tsp salt 
½ cup water 

Sumac rice 
1¼ cups basmati rice 
1¾ cups chicken stock 
1 tsp salt 
1½ tbsp sumac 
3 tbsp butter 
2 tsp grated garlic  

Method
Seabass 
Season the seabass fillets with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sear the fish skin-side down for 3 minutes, flip and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a preheated oven at 180 C and bake for 5 minutes.

Courgettes 
Season the sliced courgettes with salt. Sear in a hot pan for 2–3. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.  

Tomato sauce 
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook gently until soft. Add water and let it reduce. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20–25 minutes, until thickened. 

Sumac rice 
Rinse rice until the water runs clear. Add rice, chicken stock and salt to a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes. Melt butter in a pan, add garlic and cook gently for 2 minutes. Stir in sumac. Fold the butter mixture through the rice gently.  

To serve 
Spoon warm tomato sauce onto each plate. Place the seabass on top and arrange the courgettes over the fish. Serve with sumac rice on the side.