Sea Bass with Salsa Verde, Sautéed Cherry Tomatoes & Black Quinoa

One of my absolute favorite summer flavor pairings is fresh herbs with a sweet, white fleshed fish like sea bass. Today I’m inspired by Italian salsa verde, or “green sauce.” Salsa verde is simply chopped herbs mixed with something briny (in this case I’m using capers), shallot, red pepper flakes for heat, chopped preserved lemon rind and olive oil to bind it all together. This last minute sauce is perfect for basic pan-seared fish. I picked sea bass because I wanted a special treat (sea bass is pricey, but so worth it), but you could make this dish with any white fish like halibut or cod. Cherry tomatoes are everywhere this time of year, and I enjoy them sautéed in a screaming hot pan. This cooking method concentrates their flavors and when you bite into the little tomatoes they burst in your mouth- so good! Black quinoa provides a stunning visual against the red tomatoes, white fish, and green sauce. It cooks just like regular quinoa, just a different color. Quinoa is gluten free and contains all essential amino acids to form a complete protein source. That means it’s good for you and it won’t spike your blood sugar.

My recipe was inspired by the salsa verde lesson in the Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers.  This book is great for learning to cook intuitively. Judy gives guidelines and insights into recipes, then sets you free to go out and experiment with ingredients. The Zuni Cafe Cookbook includes several variations of herb sauce such as chimichurri, gremolata, and pesto. I encourage you to explore them all.

I hope you enjoy this flavorful, healthy, satisfying dish. Don’t be intimidated by the ingredients list. Once you’ve got everything ready (mis en place) the meal comes together quickly. I would cook the quinoa first and then just keep it covered and warm while you prepare the rest of the food.

Mis en Place for Sea Bass with Salsa Verde (c)2011 LaDomestique.com

Sea Bass with Salsa Verde and Sautéed Cherry Tomatoes

serves 2

Ingredients

For the Salsa Verde

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped basil
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 tablespoons finely chopped preserved lemon rind
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the Sautéed Cherry Tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 pint cherry tomatoes
salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Sea Bass

2 sea bass fillet portions (5-7 ounces each at about 1 1/2 inches thick)
salt

Make the salsa verde by combining the parsley, basil, capers, shallot, lemon rind, crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Pour the extra-virgin olive oil over the mixture, stir, and taste for seasoning. Add more salt, a pinch at a time, until it tastes right. Put the salsa verde in an airtight container and set aside until ready to use. Do not refrigerate as this will dull the flavors. The salsa verde should be made within an hour of the time you plan to serve it. Leftovers can be refrigerated.

Sautée the cherry tomatoes. Cut the larger tomatoes in half, but leave the smaller tomatoes whole. Heat olive oil in a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, toss in the crushed garlic clove and allow it to infuse the oil with flavor for a minute. Add all the tomatoes to the hot skillet with a bit of freshly ground pepper and a pinch of salt. Turn the heat down to medium. Cook, shaking the skillet occasionally, until the tomatoes are hot, wrinkled, and the mixture is simmering (about 10 minutes).

Meanwhile, cook the sea bass. Pour olive oil to cover the bottom of a medium sautée pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Pat the sea bass dry with paper towels and season with salt.  Once the oil is very hot but not smoking place the fish fillets in the pan. Cook for about 4 minutes, until the underside is crisp and golden, then flip the sea bass to cook the other side. It should take about 2 minutes to finish cooking the fish. The flesh should be uniformly firm and a skewer inserted in the center of the fillet should come out warm to the touch; do not overcook.

Serve the sea bass over black quinoa, surrounded by the sautéed cherry tomatoes. Spoon the salsa verde atop the fish and place extra sauce at the table.

Note: Cooking Black Quinoa

I follow Maria Speck’s method for cooking quinoa in Ancient Grains for Modern Meals. Rinse 1 cup quinoa (to remove any bitterness) and toss it into a medium pot with 1 3/4 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot with the lid and simmer for 15-25 minutes until the quinoa is tender to the bite. Once the quinoa is done cooking, remove it from the heat and allow it to steam with the lid on for 5 minutes. Toss with a splash of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.