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Pan Seared Sea Bass and Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad

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You didn’t think this recipe would begin with a pirate tale and a branding lesson did you?

Yep, that’s right. Chilean Sea Bass, more commonly referred to as Sea Bass – and formerly known as Patagonian Toothfish – is a relatively new commercialized fish species. It flew under the radar of commercial fisheries for years, not because its taste isn’t delectable, but because its funky look and name made it a hard sell (the Patagonian Toothfish is a human sized fish that lives in deep arctic waters, and they aren’t the most pleasant thing to look at). Perhaps the only thing better than its taste though, is the Harvard Business Review quality of a story of its “re-branding” – something we can thank merchant Lee Lantz for. He discovered the fish in the mid 1970’s, came up with the name “Chilean Sea Bass”, and marketed its wonderful flavor and cooking profile to the upper echelon of the culinary industry across Europe and the United States. It caught on quickly. The popularity and general scarcity of the fish made it wildly profitable for merchants.

And, within any market, there is almost always an underlying “black market”. The commercial fishing industry is not exempt from black markets, and in this industry those criminals who illegally harvest commercial volumes of fish are more accurately known as pirates. All around badass journalist, Mariana Van Zeller, dedicated an episode of her hit TV series Trafficked to shedding light on fish pirates. I’ll let her explain the full intricacies of the black market to you below:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=hq981e8QWd4%3Fautoplay%3D0u0026mute%3D0u0026controls%3D0u0026origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fmanage.wix.comu0026playsinline%3D1u0026showinfo%3D0u0026rel%3D0u0026iv_load_policy%3D3u0026modestbranding%3D1u0026widget_referrer%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Feditor.wix.com%252Fu0026enablejsapi%3D1u0026widgetid%3D1

Fish pirates nearly obliterated the Chilean Sea Bass market by the late 1990’s. The issue got so bad that restaurants and retailers nationwide joined forces to curb demand for it. Whole Foods most notably halted sales of Sea Bass in 1999. Since then, major importers (including Whole Foods), government agencies, and eco-vigilantes have successfully collaborated on efforts to make harvesting the fish sustainable, from actively patrolling the fisheries to creating regulatory agencies to scrutinize imports more thoroughly. The eco-vigilantes patrolling the fisheries have not only helped saved the world’s supply of select fish species like Chilean Sea Bass, but they have also provided epic Hollywood grade stories. In 2016, one of the last remaining pirate vessels – the Thunder was engaged by Captain Peter Hammarstedt, aboard the Bob Barker. This led to a 110 day pursuit (yes 110 days… this isn’t a car chase remember) and the eventual sinking of the Thunder.

This is truly remarkable stuff. Next time you see Sea Bass on the menu of a nice restaurant – you don’t find this at places like Red Lobster – it will be impossible not to to think of pirates and toothfish.

As previously mentioned, and the primary reason for its commercial existence, Sea Bass tastes absolutely delicious. It’s versatility makes it popular among chefs, and for the home cook that’s even better. You can cook Sea Bass a myriad of ways. Unlike most seafood, it’s hard to overcook.

Below is a simple, yet reliable way to prepare Sea Bass. I pan seared seasoned Sea Bass fillets in butter and oil and topped them with garlic butter. I then placed these perfectly cooked Sea Bass fillets on top of a seductively good roasted Brussels sprout salad: thinly sliced and roasted Brussels sprouts glazed in a honey, soy, and balsamic glaze.

Enjoy!

Pan Seared Sea Bass and Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad

0.0 from 0 votes
Course: MainsCuisine: American, Asian, FusionDifficulty: Medium
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Buttery, velvety pan seared sea bass atop a sweet, savory, and spicy roasted Brussels sprout salad with a soy balsamic dressing

Ingredients

  • Seared Sea Bass
  • 2 fillets Sea Bass (6oz-8oz each)

  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon pepper

  • Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced

  • 2 small red onions, thinly sliced

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 3 tablespoons honey

  • 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1.5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

  • .5 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes

  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil

  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 450°.
  • In a large mixing bowl, toss the thinly sliced Brussels sprouts and red onion together with 2 tbsp sesame oil. Transfer to a sheet pan, evenly spreading in a single layer. Roast for 15 minutes.
  • In a medium frying pan or saucepan, dry toast 2 tbsp sesame seeds for 1 minute over medium-high heat. Set aside.
  • To make the glaze for the roasted Brussels sprouts, whisk together 3 tbsp honey, 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp lemon juice, minced garlic, and red chili flakes. Set aside.
  • Remove Brussels sprouts and onions from oven. Immediately transfer to a large mixing bowl and toss with the glaze and toasted sesame seeds from the previous steps. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
  • Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp vegetable oil in the same pan used to toast the sesame seeds. Generously season Sea Bass fillets with salt and pepper. Sear on each side for 4-6 minutes. Make sure to only flip once.
  • In a small saucepan, heat 1 tbsp butter and 3 cloves of crushed garlic over medium-low heat. As the butter melts, use a spatula to crush the garlic cloves, releasing as much oil (flavor) as possible.
  • Plate the Sea Bass as soon as it’s finished cooking. Drizzle with melted garlic butter. Pair with the roasted Brussels sprout salad.

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