Chilean Sea Bass With Caper Sauce From Cafe Napoli Food

CHILEAN SEA BASS*

Steps:

• Saute shallots, garlic, red chili flakes, and cayenne pepper in a large dry skillet or saucepan over medium heat until fragrant. Add clam juice, white wine, honey, and gelatin and reduce for about 45 minutes.
• Preheat a grill to medium, using mesquite wood. Place bass on grill and quickly sear the fish. Then brush the sauce on the fish and return the fish to the fire and cook until fish is opaque and a knife slides in easily, making sure to brush on the sauce each time the fish is turned.
• Remove sea bass from heat and serve with fresh vegetables and starch of choice.

CHILEAN SEA BASS WITH CAPER SAUCE FROM CAFE NAPOLI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place the flour in a shallow dish and add salt and pepper to season it, mix. Coat both sides of the sea bass fillets with the flour.
• Heat a cast iron or oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add canola oil and swirl to coat the bottom. When the oil hot and begins to shimmer, place the coated fish in the hot skillet and cook until the bottom browns. Turn the fish over and cook for 1 minute.
• Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 8 minutes, and then take out of the oven to test for doneness. Place a fork into the thickest part of the fish at a 45 degree angle and lift gently. The fish should be opaque, not translucent and should easily flake when done. If it needs more time, return to the oven for 2 minutes. It should be cooked through and brown on both sides.
• While fish is cooking, pound garlic cloves with the flat side of chef's knife, peel and trim the end, then chop into a fine mince. Place half of the minced garlic in a small bowl, reserving the rest for the spinach. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, capers with juice, lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano, and parsley. Whisk together to incorporate and set aside.
• For the spinach, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, reduce heat to medium low and add remaining minced garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano to pan. Cook until garlic is aromatic. Add blanched spinach, stir and cook until the spinach is hot.
• Once the fish is cooked, the sauce is made and the spinach is sauteed, plate the dish. Place spinach on the plate, taking care that no moisture pools from the saute. Top with sea bass and finish with lemon sauce.

SEA BASS WITH LEMON AND CAPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Season sea bass fillets with salt and pepper. In a saute pan, over high heat, add the olive oil and sear fish fillets skin side down first, for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn fish over and cook another 4 minutes or until cooked through.
• Meanwhile, prepare the croutons. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Toss with bread cubes and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake in oven for 4 minutes or until crisp and golden in color. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
• In another saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter. Over high heat, saute the baby vegetables until glazed. Divide into 2 and mound in center of plate. Keep warm.
• Add the remaining 2 ounces of butter to the fillets and baste them with the butter. Place a fillet and the red peppers on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle half of the croutons on top and around each fillet. To butter, add shallots and continue to cook until butter turns brown. Deglaze with lemon juice, and add the lemon pieces, parsley, chives, tarragon, capers, and caper berries. When heated, pour half over and around each fillet. Serve immediately.
• Note: if sea bass is not available, any firm white fish can be substituted.

BAKED SEA BASS WITH LEMON CAPER DRESSING

Steps:

• To make the dressing, mix the oil with the lemon zest and juice, capers, mustard, some seasoning and 1 tbsp water. Don't add the parsley yet (unless serving straight away) as the acid in the lemon will fade the colour if they are left together for too long.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and put the fish, skin-side up, on top. Brush the skin with oil and sprinkle with some flaky salt. Bake for 7 mins or until the flesh flakes when tested with a knife. Arrange the fish on warm serving plates, spoon over the dressing and scatter with extra parsley leaves, if you like.