pan seared chilean sea bass
with creamy roasted garlic and lemon sauce
pan seared chilean sea bass
with creamy roasted garlic and lemon sauce
Chilean Sea Bass is not actually a bass at all. This bigger-than-human fish bears no relation to an actual sea bass, other than the fact that they’re both fish. But, Chilean Sea Bass is a much more marketable name than Patagonian Toothfish, and so it has come to be know by this misleading moniker.
Stark white, delectable, buttery, and mild tasting, it commands a hefty price. But..it's so very worth it.
When it comes to preparation, simple is best. It needs nothing more than a little salt and pepper to bring out the natural flavor.
This creamy, yet light sauce contains no actual cream. It’s a perfect accompaniment.
Ingredients:
For the Fish
Chilean Sea Bass portions, 6 ounces per person.
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
a knob of unsalted butter
a small glug of fruity olive oil
For the Sauce
1 large head of garlic
1 lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil
½ small onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups no-chicken stock (boxed or from concentrate)
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
a small bunch of flat leaf parsley
Method:
Start by making the sauce
Roast the garlic and the lemon:
Preheat the oven to 375°.
Without removing the papery outer skin of the garlic head, use a sharp knife to slice off the top of the head, revealing the white tips of the cloves within. Set the head of garlic on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle the cut cloves with a bit of olive oil and then fold the foil over to completely enclose the garlic. You want the foil pouch to be sealed tightly, but be loose around the garlic.
Wash the lemon. Using a metal skewer or a big fork, poke 20 holes in the lemon, all around, then rub it with a bit of olive oil. Place the garlic packet and the lemon on a baking sheet and slide the pan into the oven. Roast the garlic and the lemon for 1 hour.
Prepare the sauce:
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Sauté the onion over medium/low heat until it begins to turn golden.
Add the flour and cook, stirring, for a minute or two, so that your sauce doesn’t taste like raw flour.
Add the stock, the bay leaf ,and the herbs, retaining some of the parsley to use as a garnish. Continue to cook the sauce, stirring, until it comes to a boil. Then lower the heat and keep the sauce at a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.
When they’re cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft, roasted cloves of garlic out of their shells and into the sauce.
Add the juice of the lemon, making sure to separate out the pits.
Simmer for another 10 minutes.
Remove the herbs and the bay leaf from the pot. Purée the sauce, using either an immersion blender or a food processor. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed.
Remove the pot from the heat and keep it covered to keep it warm.
For the Fish
Preheat the oven to 425°.
Sprinkle both sides of the fish portions with salt and pepper
Choose a skillet that is oven-safe and large enough to hold all of the fish at one time, preferably cast iron if you have one.
On the stove top, heat the skillet until it's good and hot. That will make the difference between fish that sticks to the pan and fish that doesn’t stick.
Combine a knob of butter with a small glug of olive oil into the pan, wait 30 seconds for the oil to get hot, and add the fish pieces, skin side down. Lower the heat to medium-high and cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes, until the bottom is crispy and golden.
Slide a thin spatula under each piece of fish and carefully turn them, adding a bit more butter if needed.
Cook for another 5 minutes or so.
You want to develop a nice golden crust on both sides. Don’t worry about it being cooked through; you’re going to finish it in the oven.
Once you’ve gotten your fish nice and golden on both sides, slide the pan into the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Check it with a fork—it should slide right in. If it’s still a little tough, bake it for a few minutes more and check again.
To serve, set a portion of fish on each plate. Drizzle some of the sauce over the top and garnish with a bit of chopped parsley. Serve the remainder of the sauce on the side.
Did you make it? Was it fabulous?
