Sea bass in spring vegetable broth

Ingredients:

Aioli

• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 0.5 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large pasteurized egg yolk, room temperature
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Broth and fish

• 6 small green onions
• Half a small fennel root (with greens)
• 1 stalk celery, cut in half crosswise
• 1 small carrot, cut in half crosswise
• 2 sprigs of parsley + 1 tbsp chopped leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 0.5 tsp black peppercorns
• 450 g fresh lima beans
• 600 g small red potatoes, cut in half
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes of various colors, halved
• 6 sea bass fillets, 150-170 g each, remove bones
• Toasted crusty bread, for serving

Preparation:

1. Prepare the aioli:
   
   Chop the garlic, then sprinkle with 0.5 teaspoon of salt and mash with the flat side of a chef's knife to form a paste. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, and egg yolk, and whisk. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, then the vegetable oil, whisking constantly until smooth; stir in 1 teaspoon of water to make the sauce more fluid. Cover and refrigerate the aioli until ready to use.
2. Prepare the broth:
   
   Trim the green onions to about 6 inches (15 cm); place the tops in a large saucepan (set the bulbs aside). Trim the fennel and slice thinly; add 1 cup of fennel greens to the saucepan (set the sliced ​​fennel aside). Add the celery, carrots, parsley sprigs, bay leaf, peppercorns, and 8 cups of water to the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Remove the beans from their pods. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the beans and cook for 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water. Remove the skins and set the beans aside.
4. Strain the vegetable broth into a wide saucepan. Add the potatoes and 1.5 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer the potatoes with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add the green onions and tomatoes to the broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Fish:
   
   Make 3-4 crosswise cuts into each sea bass fillet, skin side down (do not cut through to the flesh). Sprinkle the flesh with salt. Add the fish to the pan; add the lima beans and chopped fennel, cover, and cook until the fish turns white and opaque, about 6 minutes.
6. Divide the potatoes into shallow bowls; top with the fish fillets, then ladle the broth and vegetables into the bowls. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and top with a spoonful of aioli. Serve the soup with bread and the remaining aioli.