I'm the Bon Appétit and Food & Wine fan who dreams about (and drools over) each issue's recipes, rips them out for later use, and completely forgets about them after the fact. However, when Zoe and I invited a few friends for dinner earlier in the month, I spent one evening sorting through dozens of torn pages and narrowing them down to the finest. This sea bass recipe stood out among the rest; and boy, does it still stand out. The chickpea puree leftovers made for a fabulous post-work appetizer and wine accompaniment the following day, and the parsley sauce added just the right amount of color and flavor to the mix.
I served my fillet with a green bean salad with mustard seeds, roasted fingerling potatoes, and some sautéed portobello slices.
Makes 4 servings
1 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 4 six-ounce sea bass fillets Salt and pepper 4 fresh bay leaves 4 small rosemary sprigs 1/2 teaspoon minced rosemary 2 cups Italian parsley leaves 2 tablespoons lemon juice Two 15-ounce cans chick peas, rinsed and drained 1 small garlic clove
1. Preheat oven to 400. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium baking dish, mix 1/4 cup olive oil with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest. Season fish with salt and pepper. Add fish to marinade, and nestle with bay and rosemary leaves between fillets. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In a blender, combine parsley with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of water. Puree until smooth. With the machine on, gradually add 1/2 cup oil until incorporated. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
3. In a food processor, combine chick peas with garlic, minced rosemary, 1 cup water, remaining 1/4 cup oil, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Transfer puree to a medium saucepan over low heat. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm on stove.
4. Remove fish from marinade. Place on baking sheet. Roast for 12 minutes, until just cooked through. Spoon chickpea puree onto plates and top with fish. Drizzle with parsley sauce and serve immediately.
P.S. The parsley sauce and chickpea puree can be made ahead!
adapted from food & wine