Sea Bass San Sebastian � Haven�t Been There, Done That

You do not have to go to a place, to be inspired by their food. In fact, it�s a lot cheaper, and easier if you don�t. So, as I stated in the into, this Chilean sea bass San Sebastian is the result of a little culinary mind game I play, where I try to invent a recipe that I think could/would be served there, and this is one of those dishes.

I love the technique of spreading a flavored mayo, or aioliover a piece of fish, before roasting it in a very hot oven. Not only does it keep the seafood moist, we don�t have to worry about making a sauce when it�s done. Another advantage is that by simply changing the seasoning of the sauce, we can create countless variations.

This will work with any piece of fish you can cut into a thick chunk, but Chilean sea bass is my favorite choice. By the way, that�s just the name it�s commonly sold by. Its real name is the much less marketable �Patagonian toothfish.� Mmm�.toothfish. Due to past overfishing, much of it illegal, Chilean sea bass has landed on lots of �do not eat this� lists, but there are sustainable sources available.

I got mine from Markfoods.com, which is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), and the quality was top notch. This is not a sponsored post, but in the spirit of full disclose, the fish seen herein was a complimentary sample sent to me by my friend Kevin, who runs the operation. Regardless, this was one of the best fish dishes I�ve had in a while, and I really hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 servings:

1 pound Chilean sea bass filet, cut into two portions

kosher salt to generously season fish

For the sauce/crust:

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 garlic cloves, crushed fine

cayenne to taste

whole roasted Marcona almonds for grating, or any other whole almond
2 teaspoons olive oil

1 hot or sweet red or green pepper, sliced

handful halved sun gold cherry tomatoes