Braised Sea Bass

Braised Black Sea Bass – Serves 4

Braising keeps the fish tender and moist, while infusing this one-pot dish with the best of New England flavors. The savory blend of olives and chorizo, paired with the natural brine of the clams, brings an abundance of flavor to this recipe, with no added salt. You’ll definitely want to grab some crusty bread to mop up all of the delicious broth.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

1/2 c diced fennel

6 ounces cooked or cured chorizo, thinly sliced

1/2 c oil-cured black olives, pitted

1 tsp dried oregano or 1 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped

1/2 c fruity white wine

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

4 skinless striped sea bass fillets

freshly ground black pepper

16 littleneck clams, scrubbed and rinsed

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, chorizo, fennel, olives, and oregano. Sautés until onion and fennel have softened; 6-8 minutes. Add wine and scrape any brown bits stuck to bottom of pan. Stir in garlic and tomatoes. Cook 5 more minutes.

Place fillets over olive/fennel/tomato mixture and add pepper to taste. Scatter clams over all and cover pan. Cook over medium-low heat until clams have opened and fish is done; 10-12 minutes. Use a large serving spoon to transfer fish and tomato mixture into shallow serving bowls, then spoon more broth over each. Garnish with parsley, and enjoy.

Translate »