One of the classic dishes of Provence: a whole sea bream baked in the oven with fennel, onion and garlic and then (if you like the idea) flamed in pastis just before serving.

You could use fillets of bream for ease of cooking and serving - but the whole fish is the more authentic version.

Ingredients (for 2 servings): 1 x 450g to 600g prepared sea bream; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 large bulb fresh fennel; 1 large onion; 1 clove garlic; 30ml pastis; salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Method: Preheat the oven to 220C/ 425F/ Gas Mark 7.

Rub the fish inside and out with olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Peel and finely slice the onion. Peel and crush the garlic. Remove any hard or discoloured leaves from the fennel and cut into very fine slices.

Heat a large shallow ovenproof baking dish over a moderate heat and sweat the onion, garlic and fennel for 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Place the prepared sea bream on top of the onion, garlic and fennel remaining in the pan. Pour over the pastis.

Cover with lightly oiled foil and place in the preheated oven

Bake for 15 minutes. Take the pan from the oven, remove the foil.

Put back in the oven for a further 10 minutes.

Before serving, check that the flesh of the sea bass is opaque and flakes easily from the bone. The actual cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the fish and the heat of your oven - but be careful not to overcook it.

Serve the sea bream on a large platter with the vegetables and juices poured over and around the fish. Decorate with lemon wedges, if you like.

You could flamber the sea bass in extra pastis just before you bring it to the table - or, if you wanted to be really flash, at the table itself!