Grilled Sea Bass with Romesco Sauce
David Scott Allen · Fish & Seafood · Main Course · Provencal Recipes · TasteRomesco sauce originates from the fishing community in Catalonia, Spain. A place where red peppers, garlic and a bit of piment are well-entrenched in the local cuisine. For this recipe for grilled sea bass, I needed a sauce with enough flavour to enhance the fish without being overpowering. Also, the dish needed to pair well with a rosé from Commanderie de Peyrassol. But, as you know, I like a challenge, and this one was a bit of culinary architecture. The result is a delicious romesco-inspired sauce with grilled sea bass.
Grilled, Herbed Chilean Sea Bass with Romesco
This Romesco-esque sauce is a take on the pungent Spanish version which includes garlic (which we don't eat) and almonds. My version includes pistachio paste and culinary lavender buds for a touch of Provence.
Ingredients
For the Romesco Sauce:
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 3 large Roma tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Ají Amarillo purée or 1 teaspoon hot paprika
- 1 tbsp pistachio paste or other nut paste
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 1/4 lime
- 1/2 tsp Salt
For the Fish:
- 2 sprigs fresh basil
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp culinary lavender buds
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs Chilean sea bass 1-inch thick, in four pieces
- fresh parsley chopped for garnish
Instructions
To Make the Romesco-esque Sauce:
- Heat your grill to high.
- Blacken the red pepper on all sides.
- When fully black, remove from the grill and place in a paper bag. Close and let pepper steam for 10 minutes.
- While pepper is steaming, grill the tomatoes on all sides until blackened and split.
- Cut tomatoes in half and remove the blackened skin and any seeds.
- Place tomato pieces in a blender.
- Remove pepper from the bag, then peel or scrape off the blackened skin, remove ribs and seeds. Place pepper in the blender.
- Add ají amarillo, nut paste, olive oil, lime, and salt. Purée until smooth and light in color, transfer to a bowl and set aside.
To Cook the Fish:
- Trim the fish into equal 6-ounce portions and place in a shallow baking dish.
- Finely chop the basil, thyme, and lavender buds together and place in a small bowl.
- Add the salt, pepper, and olive oil. Spoon over the fish, turn to coat, and marinate for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat grill to medium-high - about 400°F/200°C.
- When hot, oil the grates then grill fish for 4 minutes on the first side and three minutes on the flip side. (You will see the fish becoming opaque as it cooks.)
- Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the sauce onto the plates, then top with fish and garnish with chopped parsley.
Notes
* Chilean sea bass is technically not a Bass but a cold-water fish called the Patagonian toothfish. A good substitute is sablefish, also known as black cod (lieu noir).Fish Names Translated into French:
bream (gilt-head) = la dorade royale
cod = le cabillaud
salt cod = la morue
hake = le merlu
halibut = le flétan
monkfish = la lotte
seabass = le bar also known as loup de mer
bream (gilt-head) = la dorade royale
cod = le cabillaud
salt cod = la morue
hake = le merlu
halibut = le flétan
monkfish = la lotte
seabass = le bar also known as loup de mer
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Saint-Tropez - Jewel of the French Riviera: Full day tour with a winery visit
Spend your day as a movie star in Saint-Tropez! The departure is set early in the morning to avoid the traffic towards the legendary town, with which a thousand stories are associated. The experience will start with a tour of this enchanting small fishing town of Saint-Tropez, which inspired numerous painters and whose beauty of the port always attracted the cinematographic world.
Book this ExperienceLegal
All rights reserved. Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission. For usage information, please contact us.
Syndication InformationAffiliate Information
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Some recipes, posts and pages may have affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that does not impact your price. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to maintain Perfectly Provence.
Previous Post
Exotic Summer Salad Grilled Octopus for LunchRelated Provence Articles
Delicious Saffron Broth for Poached Sea Bass
August 18, 2017
Fresh sea bass poached in a delicious shrimp and saffron broth.…
Recipe for Provencal Stuffed Vegetables
July 25, 2016
With this dish you can vary the vegetables and I think it’s lovely to use a mixture of aubergine, courgettes and tomatoes. The meat is generally a mixture of beef and pork, seasoned with herbs and spices. …
Recipe for Roast Tomato Tart with Goat’s Cheese
June 9, 2017
A light and flaky bed of puff pastry smothered in tomato and shallot relish with thick tomato slices and soft melted goat cheese.…
Provence in a Bowl Fennel Tomato Soup with Pastis
July 7, 2016
In his easy recipe, David has combined iconic tastes of Provence – tomatoes, fennel and Pastis – into a bowl (original Cocoa & Lavender post here). In summer months, local market stands showcase tomatoes of every description from trendy multi-coloured heirloom varieties to a Provencal version of the juicy beefsteak to tiny cocktail versions. Fennel grows wild …
No Comment