As we enter the season of giving, we give thanks for the joy of sharing a fantastic meal with friends! Enjoy the Santa Monica Seafood Friendsgiving Box when you gather together, or why not send one to a friend and share a meal virtually? Either way we will help you set the table with the best the season has to offer.
We start with fresh, whole Pacifico Striped Bass. Seabass has a mild, delicate flavor with a subtle sweetness that works well with a variety of seasonings and cooking methods. This versatile fish is moist, buttery and tender with firm medium-sized flakes. Great for seafood lovers with a sensitive palate! Pacifico Striped Bass are the world's only ocean-raised true striped bass. They are also the only four-star Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) striped bass. Learn more about this important sustainability certification here: https://www.bapcertification.org/ . Raised in the pristine marine sanctuary of Isla Todos Santos in Baja California, these ocean-raised striped bass are farmed in clean, clear, deep oceanic currents where the meroir gives the fish a distinct sweetness with a delicate umami second flavor profile.
We have also included a delicious autumnal favorite Pumpkin Ravioli! This delicious pumpkin pasta with roasted butternut squash filling has all the flavors of the season in a perfect pasta pocket! Try it with a light cream sauce or drizzled with browned butter.
We might also recommend adding on some delicious smoked salmon for a quick and elegant appetizer!
Roasted Striped Sea Bass with Crispy Sage and Brown Butter
serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
2 whole (6 to 8-ounce) Pacifico Striped Bass, gilled and gutted
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup fresh sage leaves
2 cups fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, parsley, and sage)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped dried cranberries
2 each oranges, lemons, grapefruit, or combination, sliced in ¼-inch rounds
1 lemon, juiced
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 425° F.
In cold water, rinse the Pacifico Striped Bass, pat dry, and set in a shallow baking dish. Coat fish with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and rub each fish, inside and out, with a hearty pinch of salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity of fish with slices of citrus and the two cups of fresh herbs.
Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large cast iron pan or large heavy-bottomed, oven-proof skillet, set on the stove, and heat on high.
Place stuffed fish in the pan when oil is hot. Add two tablespoons of butter, swirl in the pan, and place in the hot oven.
Cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 120° F on an instant-read thermometer, or the fish is opaque and easily flakes apart with a fork.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving plate. Tent with foil to keep warm while finishing sauce.
Return pan back to stove and turn burner to high. Heat butter in a pan and cook until the butter turns golden brown. Turn heat to low, add the sage, walnuts, and cranberries cooking until sage starts to crispen. Finish by stirring in lemon juice and seasoning with salt and pepper.
Pour the sizzling brown butter sauce over fish. Serve with Pumpkin Ravioli and sautéed vegetables.
Rad Tip:
When serving fish, plan a pound of fish per person, though three-quarters of a pound will do if you’re serving it in the context of a multi-course meal.
Fish filleting 101:
Make a diagonal slit behind the head and then along the top side of the backbone, and then make another diagonal cut before the tail. Next, gently run a table knife along the bones and lift off the top fillet, keeping the crisp skin intact. Set the first fillet aside and check for any small bones that may be stuck in the flesh. Pick up and discard the entire skeleton along with the head and tail. It should all stay together. Now, run the knife between the flesh and the skin of the bottom fillet and discard the bottom skin that did not crisp upon cooking. Again, check for stray bones.