Sea bass with asparagus and clam vinaigrette

A stiff fish, firm to the feel, is a fresh fish. To test, hold it up by the tail; it should stand straight. In my kitchen, if a fish isn’t fresh, it goes straight back to the fishmonger. I only use line-caught sea bass which have come into shore to feed — when trawlered, the fish bellies are full and this could taint the flesh of the fish before the boat reaches harbour and the fish is sold. In the restaurant we finish this dish with a ring of tomato oil, made by blending our own oven-dried