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 to highlight the tender fish, without overpowering it.

Ingredients:

Start by making the sauce

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:

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 points 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 while you prepare the fish.

For the Fish

Ingredients:

Chilean Sea Bass portions, 6 ounces per person.

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

a knob of unsalted butter (or vegan butter if you prefer)

a small glug of fruity olive oil

Method:

• 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 in one layer, 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 it 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?

The Patagonian Toothfish.

A face only a mother could love.