Recipe: Carole's Sea Bass

From Flavored with Love: Sea Bass

3 shallots, sliced
1½ cups olive oil, divided
2 tomatoes, chopped
½ cup white wine
⅓ cup tomato juice
salt and black pepper to taste
¼ cup garlic
½ cup eggplant
1 red bell pepper, divided
1 green bell pepper
⅓ (⅓ of 7 ounces) can sliced black olives, drained
1¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (the little leaves)
1 sea bass filet (about 6 ounces)
bacon (optional)

Prepare sauce sautéing shallots in 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil. Add tomatoes (chopped), half the red bell pepper (chopped), and wine. Cook to reduce liquid. Stir in tomato juice; reduce. Pour tomato mixture into blender container, add ½ cup oil, season with salt and pepper, blend, set aside, and keep warm. Heat garlic and thyme in ½ cup olive oil; keep warm.

Prepare crust in food processor by chopping 1 green bell pepper, ½ red bell pepper, squash, eggplant (peeled), and zucchini. Add the olives. Sauté in oil that has all the favor of the garlic and thyme and transfer the vegetables to the sauce.


Cook al dente. Coat the pan with a few drops of oil. Place the fish in pan; spoon portions of mixture on the fish and the remainder around it. Cover it with the sauce. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. You can add a little bacon on top too if you wish. The vegetables are the crust or overlay for the fish. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until the fish flakes.
Serves 1.


NOTE
For years my sister-in-law Carole has enjoyed cooking Chilean sea bass for my brother, Buddy Gregg. Because of being overly fished, Chilean bass is currently in danger of becoming extinct. Arctic sea bass, which is almost as good, can be purchased in top quality grocery stores.