Steamed Wild Striped Bass with Yellow Pepper Romesco, Red Pepper-Black Olive Relish and Parsley-Garlic Oil
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 servings
- Total: 1 hr 45 min
- Prep: 40 min
- Inactive: 30 min
- Cook: 35 min
Ingredients
Parsley Garlic Oil:
1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Red Pepper Black-Olive Relish:
2 roasted red bell peppers, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup pitted and coarsely chopped nicoise olives
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup aged sherry vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
Yellow Pepper Romesco Sauce:
1/4 cup canola oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 yellow pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded
2 yellow tomatoes, halved
1 ancho chile, soaked in boiling water until soft, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 New Mexican chile, soaked in boiling water until soft, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 slice white bread, crust removed, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup toasted whole almonds
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Steamed Wild Striped Bass:
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 orange, juiced, flesh reserved
1 lemon, juiced, flesh reserved
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
Splash Spanish wine (recommended: Albarino)
4 (6-ounce) wild striped bass fillets, skin-on
Canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parsley leaves, for garnish
Directions
- For the oil: Add the parsley and garlic to a blender and with the blender on, slowly stream in the oil until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let the oil sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- For the relish: Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- For the sauce: Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat until smoking. Separately saute the garlic, bell pepper, tomatoes, chiles and bread cubes until lightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes each. Remove each ingredient with a slotted spoon as it is done. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar. Put all the sauteed ingredients and the deglazing liquid into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the almonds and process until finely chopped. Blend in the honey and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
- For the fish: Set up a bamboo steamer basket over a large pot of water. Add the coriander seed, fennel seed, crushed garlic, orange juice and remainder of the squeezed flesh, the juice of the lemon and remainder of the squeezed flesh, the black peppercorns and splash of wine to the water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once the water is simmering, brush each fillet with canola oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Put the fish, skin side, down in the steamer basket over the simmering water, and steam until cooked through.
- Arrange the fish on serving plates with the Yellow Pepper Romesco Sauce on the side. Top the fish with heaping mounds of the Parsley Garlic Oil and Red Pepper-Black Olive Relish. Garnish with parsley leaves and serve.