Sea Bass With Crispy Potato Asiago Crust Food

MEDITERRANEAN PAN SEARED SEA BASS RECIPE WITH GARLIC BELL PEPPER MEDLEY

Steps:

• Take the fish out of the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking. Sprinkle with salt on both sides and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the spices to make the spice mixture. Set aside for now.
• In a medium-sized skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking.
• Add the bell peppers, shallots, and garlic. Season with salt and 1 tsp of the spice mixture you prepared earlier. Cook, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes or until the peppers have softened. Turn the heat to lowest, and stir in the chopped olives. Leave on low heat as you prepare the fish.
• Pat fish dry and season with the remaining spice mixture on both sides as well.
• In a large skillet, preferably cast iron, heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil over medium-high until shimmering but not smoking. Add the fish pieces (you can reduce heat to medium, if needed). Push down on the middle (thickest part) for 30 seconds or so. Cook fish on one side, undisturbed, until nicely browned, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully turn fish over and cook on other side for 3-4 minutes until nicely browned as well. (Important Note- look for browned edges before you turn it over. If parts of the fish are stuck, you should be able to carefully scrape it with the spatula and turn. But, if the fish is entirely stuck, it's not ready to be turned over. Leave it for a little bit. It should release when ready.)
• Remove fish from heat, immediately drizzle lemon juice. Serve hot with the bell pepper medley spooned on top. Add a side of cooked pearl couscous or rice, if you like. Or add a gluten-free side of your choice. Enjoy!

GRILLED SEA BASS, CRISP POTATO SKINS & CRAB BUTTER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cut the ends from the potatoes and keep. Cut the peel and 1cm flesh from the potatoes, leaving blocky barrels of potato behind. On a shallow baking tray, massage the skins and potato ends with the oil, salt and thyme sprigs. Roast for 30 mins, turning halfway through, until tender and starting to crisp. Set aside until later.
• Simmer the salad onion with the vinegar until reduced to 1 tsp or so. Strain the vinegar into the butter (keep the onion), add the crab and some seasoning, and mash well. Chill until needed.
• Heat grill to high - make sure it's really hot before you cook the fish. Slash the skin of each fillet three times and season. Put the potatoes under the grill for 2 mins or until hot and starting to crisp again, then lay the fish fillets on top. (If your grill doesn't go very high, fry your fillets, skin-side down, in a non-stick frying pan to crisp it up before putting them on top of your potatoes.) Pour olive oil over the fish, and grill for 4 mins or until opaque with the skin crisping.
• Dollop ¼ of the crab butter onto each fillet, then grill for 1 min until the butter begins to melt. Using a fish slice, transfer the fish to warmed plates to serve, with the potato skins, a few thyme leaves and a charred onion & tomato salad.