FISH & WINE PAIRING
This is for the olive & wine fans out there. A simple way to make your sea bass a little more exciting is to curate a zippy salsa that can stand up to a Verdejo wine.
Verdejo is a great pairing with not only sea bass but also olives! It stands up nicely to the saltiness of the fish while adding notes of clementines, green apples and fennel.
This dish is ideal for entertaining. It's light yet full of flavour, and also versatile enough to be paired with a heartier meal - like a curry or salad for example. We've gone for some simple greens and new potatoes to make it more substantial, but the salsa and fish combo makes it great for whatever you have planned!
Ingredients:
For the sea bass:
- 2 sea bass fillets (skin on)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the olive & tarragon salsa:
- 80g green olives, pitted and finely chopped
- 1/2 shallot, finely diced
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Method:
- Combine the olives, shallot, capers, garlic and herbs in a bowl then add the zest of the whole lemon and the juice of half of it. Season to taste with salt and pepper then pour in the olive oil and stir through. Set to one side.
- Pat the skin on the sea bass dry with some kitchen roll then season with a little salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a pan over a medium high heat and place the sea bass in the pan, skin-side down, pressing gently to make sure the skin doesn’t curl up.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crispy then gently flip the fillets over and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
- Serve with the salsa spooned on top alongside some potatoes and greens for a full meal.
Recipe by Pippa Leon, Recipe Writer
