CHILEAN SEA BASS, PEAS, ZUCCHINI AND MINT, BASIL OIL

Serves 8

Chilean Sea Bass is a rich, fatty fish. In the not so recent past, it was over fished. At that point I never ate it. Now the fish and sustainable ways of catching them are making a resurgence. Now every once in a while I can taste one of my favorite fishes. Because it is so fatty, it is perfect for parties. It can sit for a while and not dry out... in fact it makes it even more juicier as the heat evenly melts the fat.

For this recipe, first cut your fish. Get a pot of boiling water on the stove for blanching the vegetables. The rest is simple.

Zucchini and Peas

Fresh Peas – 3 cups
Zucchini – 3 cups diced
Mint – 1/3 cup minced
Chives – 1/4 cup minced
Thyme – 2 sprigs picked
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – ¼ cup
Lemon – 1 each juice
Salt and Pepper – to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 F set to convection.

Dice zucchini  and mince the herbs. Place the zucchini on a baking tray, be sure it is only one layer. Drizzle it with some oil and season it with salt and pepper and thyme. Cook at 350 F for 7 min in a convection oven, or until tender but not too soft.

For the peas, blanch them in salted boiling water for 2 min or until they turn bright green. Shock in an ice bath and drain.

When ready to serve, toss zucchini and peas into a hot sauté pan. Add olive oil, and herbs, season with salt and pepper and lemon juice to taste.  You can keep these warm. Just not for too long otherwise they will turn a funky color.

Basil Oil

Basil – 1 bunch
Ice – 4 cubes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1 cup
Lemon – 1 each juiced

Blanch the basil for 30 seconds in boiling water. Shock and squeeze the water out. Put the basil, ice and oil in a blender and blend till bright green, add the lemon to preserve the color.

Sea Bass

Sea Bass – 2.5 lbs cut into 5 oz servings
Salt and Pepper – to taste
Olive Oil – to coat pan

Cut the sea bass into 5 oz squares. This is about 3 inches by 3 inches if it is thick.  Season the fish with salt and pepper.

In a non stick pan over medium high heat, place the fish skin side down. Cook until skin is crispy. About 7 min. Flip the fish and put it in the oven for 5 min.

The Finish

To finish make sure that the vegetables are hot, place them in the center of the plate. Perch the fish on top of the veg then drizzle basil oil around the plate.