Chile Crusted Black Sea Bass Recipes

CHILE-CRUSTED BLACK SEA BASS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375. Remove fish from refrigerator, and allow it to come to room temperature. In a medium-size bowl, combine kochujang, thyme, garlic and cream, then whisk into smooth paste.
• Dry fish carefully with paper towel. Place them dorsal-side up in a dry, oven-safe saute pan or roasting pan, pulling apart the collarbones to create ''wings'' that will stabilize them in an upright position. Slather the skin of both fish with about half of the chile-paste mixture. Add approximately 1/4 cup of water to the pan, and place carefully in the oven. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, watching carefully to make sure that the exterior does not burn. (If it starts to, cover the fish gently with a sheet of aluminum foil.) Use the tip of a small, sharp knife to check for doneness; remove from oven when the flesh is almost but not quite fully opaque. Allow fish to rest for about 2 to 4 minutes, at which point it will be done.
• Meanwhile, make sauce. Add the oil and the vinegar to the remaining chile paste, and whisk to combine. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• Using a flexible metal spatula, gently remove the four fillets from the two fish. Serve skin-side up, with sauce on the side, along with white rice and sauteed kale.

CRABMEAT CRUSTED CHILEAN SEA BASS

Steps:

• To make crabmeat crust, whip butter in electric mixer at high speed until it turns white and fluffy.
• Add crabmeat, parsley, red and yellow bell pepper, white pepper, salt, cayenne, and lemon juice until fully incorporated.
• Slowly add Panco while mixing on low speed.
• Roll crust between parchment paper until 1/2" thick.
• Remove top layer of parchment paper and lay fish fillet on top of crust.
• Cut crust along the outline of the filet.
• Flip fish over onto nonstick baking pan and peel away parchment paper.
• Broil until golden brown, approximately 3-5 minutes.
• Finish cooking in 375 degree oven until fish is moist and flaky, approximately 20 minutes.

POTATO CRUSTED CHILEAN BASS

Steps:

• Purée peppers in a food processor.
• Add lemon juice, garlic and basil.
• Process until smooth.
• With processor running, add olive oil until sauce is smooth and creamy.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Using a sharp knife, cut potatoes, skin on, into paper-thin slices.
• Season fish with some of the olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Arrange potato slices, overlapping, on the surface of each fillet to resemble fish scales.
• Heat one teaspoon olive oil in a nonstick sauté pan.
• Place fish, potato side down, in pan and cook 5 minutes.
• Turn fish over and continue to cook other side about 3 minutes, or until done.
• Serve accompanied by simple grilled vegetables such as eggplant or zucchini and drizzled with roasted red pepper sauce.

CUMIN CRUSTED CHILEAN SEA BASS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a dry large skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds for 2 minutes or until they just begin to smoke.
• Grind together the cumin, salt, and pepper in a mortar and pestle or other grinding tool (I use an electric coffee grinder) until finely ground.
• Rub the cumin mixture on both sides of the sea bass fillets.
• Heat the oil and butter together in an oven-safe pan/skillet over medium-high heat, then add the fish and brown each side of the fillets for 2 minutes.
• Transfer pan to the oven (you can wrap the handle of the pan with foil, if necessary), and bake for 4 to 5 minutes or until the fillets flake easily when tested with a fork.
• Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges and serve.
• Source: Cooking Light, Dec. 2001 and Gail's Recipe Swap.