Mediterranean Striped Bass Recipes

MEDITERRANEAN PAN SEARED SEA BASS RECIPE WITH GARLIC BELL PEPPER MEDLEY

Steps:

• Take the fish out of the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking. Sprinkle with salt on both sides and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the spices to make the spice mixture. Set aside for now.
• In a medium-sized skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking.
• Add the bell peppers, shallots, and garlic. Season with salt and 1 tsp of the spice mixture you prepared earlier. Cook, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes or until the peppers have softened. Turn the heat to lowest, and stir in the chopped olives. Leave on low heat as you prepare the fish.
• Pat fish dry and season with the remaining spice mixture on both sides as well.
• In a large skillet, preferably cast iron, heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil over medium-high until shimmering but not smoking. Add the fish pieces (you can reduce heat to medium, if needed). Push down on the middle (thickest part) for 30 seconds or so. Cook fish on one side, undisturbed, until nicely browned, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully turn fish over and cook on other side for 3-4 minutes until nicely browned as well. (Important Note- look for browned edges before you turn it over. If parts of the fish are stuck, you should be able to carefully scrape it with the spatula and turn. But, if the fish is entirely stuck, it's not ready to be turned over. Leave it for a little bit. It should release when ready.)
• Remove fish from heat, immediately drizzle lemon juice. Serve hot with the bell pepper medley spooned on top. Add a side of cooked pearl couscous or rice, if you like. Or add a gluten-free side of your choice. Enjoy!

MOROCCAN-STYLE STRIPED BASS

Steps:

• Put the orange juice and thyme in a small saucepan, over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half and becomes a syrup. Strain into a bowl, then add the honey and harissa, to taste.
• Preheat the grill to medium.
• Brush the fillets with oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until slightly charred on both sides and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a platter, drizzle with the sauce and sprinkle with olives and parsley.

STRIPED BASS OR MAHI MAHI WITH FENNEL, LEEKS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Lay the fish fillets in a baking dish or on a sheet pan and season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fish and refrigerate while you make the sauce.
• In a large lidded sauté pan that will accommodate all of the fish in one layer (see note below), heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the leeks. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes, and add the garlic and a large pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute, and add the fennel. Turn down the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and cook, stirring often, until the fennel is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Uncover the pan, add the tomatoes, salt to taste, and the pepper and cook uncovered, stirring often, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down and the mixture is thick and fragrant. Stir in the dill and 1 tablespoon of the parsley.
• Lay the fish over the fennel mixture. (Note: If the pan isn't big enough, divide the mixture between two pans.) Cover and place over medium heat. Simmer 10 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and pulls apart easily with a fork. Sprinkle on the remaining parsley and serve the sauce and fish together, with rice or potatoes.

STRIPED BASS ALL'AMATRICIANA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread olive oil in a baking dish just large enough to hold the fish in a single layer. Season the flesh side of the fish with salt and pepper, and set aside on a plate or cutting board.
• In a heavy saucepan, heat the guanciale on medium low, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the cracklings are golden. Add the onion and cook until onion is soft and barely colored. Stir in garlic and continue cooking until it softens. Add tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer gently about 15 minutes, until tomatoes have come together and reduced a bit. Stir in chile flakes and remove from heat.
• Heat baking dish in the oven and when the oil is hot, remove it from the oven. Place fish, skin side down, in the dish. Spread the tomato mixture on the fish. Return dish to oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the fish just turns opaque and is cooked through. Serve at once or set aside at room temperature to serve in 30 minutes or so. Scatter basil on top just before serving.

SIMPLE OVEN-BAKED SEA BASS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450F°.
• In a cup, mix garlic, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
• Place fish in a shallow glass or ceramic baking dish.
• Rub fish with oil mixture.
• (Optional) Pour wine over fish.
• Bake fish, uncovered, for 15 minutes; then sprinkle with parsley or Italian seasoning and continue to bake for 5 more minutes (or until the thickest part of the fish flakes easily).
• Drizzle remaining pan juices over fish and garnish with lemon wedges.
• Enjoy!

MEDITERRANEAN STRIPED BASS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Pat the fish dry and season fillets with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Drizzle the oil and heat a cast iron or oven safe pan over medium heat. When pan gets hot (it should sizzle when you add something to it) drop in the fillets of fish. Cook for 1 minute on each side. Remove and set aside.
• In same pan, drizzle more oil if needed. Saute the bell pepper and onions for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the garlic and green onion and saute for another 1 - 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add in the tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally (do not burn the garlic!).
• Stir in the balsamic vinegar, wine, lemon slices, lemon zest, capers and thyme. Cook for another minute and remove from heat. Create some space in the pan for the 4 fillets by moving the contents to either side. Place the fillets skin side down in the cast iron pan nestled in the pan contents.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

STRIPED BASS PLAKI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse fish well under cool running water. Thoroughly pat dry. Lightly coat the bottom of a large roasting pan with olive oil; place fish in center. Generously season fish with salt and pepper; sprinkle a large pinch of oregano inside cavity and outside. Stuff cavity with half of the lemon slices, 4 sprigs thyme, 4 sprigs rosemary, bay leaves, and 3 garlic cloves.
• Cover fish with overlapping slices of red onion; top with remaining lemon slices. Scatter tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, sweet onion, olives, remaining 2 sprigs thyme, remaining 2 sprigs rosemary, and remaining 13 garlic cloves around fish. Sprinkle vegetables with assorted herb mixture and capers.
• Generously season fish with salt, pepper, and remaining oregano. Add wine to roasting pan and cover with parchment paper-lined foil, pressing edges well to seal. Transfer to oven and cook, until fish is flakey and cooked through and vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.
• Carefully transfer fish to a large serving platter, along with vegetables, discarding herb sprigs, if desired. Whisk garlic puree or butter into pan juices until melted; drizzle over and around fish. Squeeze fish with lemon wedges; serve immediately.