Sea Bass San Sebastian – Haven’t Been There, Done That

You do not have to go to a place, to be inspired by their food. In fact, it's a lot cheaper, and easier if you don't. So, as I stated in the into, this Chilean sea bass San Sebastian is the result of a little culinary mind game I play, where I try to invent a recipe that I think could/would be served there, and this is one of those dishes.

I love the technique of spreading a flavored mayo, or aioli over a piece of fish, before roasting it in a very hot oven. Not only does it keep the seafood moist, we don't have to worry about making a sauce when it's done. Another advantage is that by simply changing the seasoning of the sauce, we can create countless variations.

This will work with any piece of fish you can cut into a thick chunk, but Chilean sea bass is my favorite choice. By the way, that's just the name it's commonly sold by. Its real name is the much less marketable "Patagonian toothfish." Mmm….toothfish. Due to past overfishing, much of it illegal, Chilean sea bass has landed on lots of "do not eat this" lists, but there are sustainable sources available.

I got mine from Markfoods.com, which is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), and the quality was top notch. This is not a sponsored post, but in the spirit of full disclose, the fish seen herein was a complimentary sample sent to me by my friend Kevin, who runs the operation. Regardless, this was one of the best fish dishes I've had in a while, and I really hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 pound Chilean sea bass filet, cut into two portions
• kosher salt to generously season fish
• For the sauce/crust:
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed fine
• cayenne to taste
• whole roasted Marcona almonds for grating, or any other whole almond
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 hot or sweet red or green pepper, sliced
• handful halved sun gold cherry tomatoes