Fish for Dinner: Roasted Black Sea Bass with Tomato and Olive Salad

This fish dinner looks a little fancy but it's easy-peasy and tasty-times-two!

The Occasion: This fish dinner is fancy enough for company. It’s not at all difficult but takes a little futzing – so maybe not a weeknight dinner unless you’ve got the time and patience to take a few cleansing breaths and get into the zen of cooking. 

​The Playlist: Today’s musical pairing comes from an eclectic Scottish band called Sea Bass Kid that has struck my fancy. ​

From their website: Sea Bass Kid are a multi-cultural seven-piece band based in Edinburgh. They deliver an exciting and ​provocative mix of colourful and bizarre styles, fusing Ska, Funk and Rock to create what some describe as “Spaghetti Eastern” or “Skariachi”. Give a listen and let me know what you think!

The Recipe: This recipe for Roasted Black Sea Bass with Tomato and Olive Salad comes from Epicurious. I took a few liberties based on the ingredients available and it still turned out just fine.

Tomatoes (fresh and sun-dried), Kalamata olives, and lots of herbs make this salad delicious!

What Makes It Special? The fish fillets are stacked around a filling like a sandwich. How fancy is that?! So it looks cool, and then, then when you taste it … wowza! The olive-tomato salad adds a tangy, zesty flavor punch to the dish that really sends it over the top. Yum.

​Kitchen Tips: Soak a few pieces of kitchen twine in a cup of water for about an hour before tying up the fish and roasting it. This will help prevent a flare-up in the oven. 

Click on the photos below to enlarge them and read the captions.

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Serve With: Side dishes included toasted quinoa and sauteed spinach. To drink we had a delicious Santo Santorini Assyrtiko. It’s a white wine from Greece that picks up the salty acidity and minerality of the volcanic rock it grows on. You will not be sorry with this wine!

The Verdict: A colorful plate, bold flavors, tasty mild fish – there is absolutely nothing here not to like. Go on and get you some!

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Roasted Black Sea Bass with Tomato and Olive Salad
Recipe source: Epicurious
 
INGREDIENTS for SALAD:

• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½-pound grape tomatoes (preferably mixed colors), halved if large
• ½-pound cherry tomatoes (preferably mixed colors), quartered if large
• 12 Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped oregano

 
INGREDIENTS for FISH:

• 4 (6-to 8-ounce) black sea bass fillets with skin, any pin bones removed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 6 (3-to 4-inch) oregano sprigs

 
DIRECTIONS:

Make salad:

• Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Transfer to a bowl and whisk in anchovy paste, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk in oil.
• Toss with remaining salad ingredients.
• Let stand, stirring occasionally, while fish roasts.

Roast fish:

• Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Oil a 1 1/2-to 2-quart gratin or other shallow baking dish.
• Rub flesh sides of fish with 2 teaspoons oil (total) and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (total).
• Divide onion slices and oregano sprigs into 2 portions and sandwich each portion between 2 fillets, skin sides out.
• Tie with kitchen string crosswise at 2-inch intervals and transfer to baking dish.
• Score skin on top in several places with a sharp knife and drizzle with remaining 4 teaspoons oil.
• Roast fish until just cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• Cut off string and cut sandwiched fillets in half crosswise.
• Serve topped with salad.

What is your favorite fish dinner? Tell us in the Comments!