Grilled Sea Bass with Black Bean & Corn Salsa
This past weekend I had a dinner party and again the requested dish was my Sweet and Sour Brisket. We were having a Pot Luck dinner and I was the host so everyone brought a dish. It was fun getting together with everyone but as always I made more brisket than needed which meant leftovers. Leftovers are great if it’s fruit or vegetables but when it’s meat it can be dangerous. That’s why last night fish was on our dinner menu. Light, healthy, and nutritious was what my body was craving.
Whenever I’m in that super healthy mood I head over to Whole Foods Market. The produce section alone gives me energy – it’s incredible! Bright colors of every fruit and vegetable you can imagine. My mind goes crazy trying to come up with dishes I can create.
Monday evenings meal was going to be Grilled Sea Bass with a Black Bean and Corn Salsa with Sugar Snap Peas. This simple dish was tossed together in all of 30 minutes.
I love Sea Bass for it’s mild yet buttery flavor. People always ask me how much butter I added to the dish and I smile and tell them none. It’s hard to believe because of the delicate, buttery flavor but it’s true. Of course if you don’t like fish or are allergic to it like my blogger friend Ann then go ahead and use chicken or any other meat that strikes your fancy to go with the salsa.
Speaking of the salsa – this was just a matter of slicing and dicing veggies that I felt like adding. You can do a rough chop or do a nice brunoise cut.
Brunoise is a precision cut where the food is first julienned (cut into thin match sticks), then turned a quarter turn and diced again, producing tiny cubes with equal sides (typically under 3mm). This cut is commonly used as a garnish for Consomme, or salsas.
The sugar snap peas were rinsed, and steamed for all of about 4 minutes until they turned a bright green color. Remove from heat and serve immediately or plunge in an ice water bath to hault the cooking process to maintaian their bright color.
Grilled Sea Bass with Black Bean and Corn Salsa
serves 4
Ingredients:
4 – Six to Eight ounce Sea Bass, skin on if possible
1 can Black Beans, rinsed to remove salt
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
1/4 red onion minced
1/2 red pepper, brunoise cut
1/2 orange or yellow pepper, brunoise cut
1/2 Pablano Pepper, seeded and cut brunoise style
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
salt and pepper to taste
Sugar Snap Peas
Instructions:
Turn grill on to preheat. Rinse Sea Bass, pat dry and place skin side down on a medium hot grill. Cover and cook 15 minutes. No need to flip. After 15 minutes using a metal spatula, place between the bottom of the fish and top of the skin. Glide gently to remove Sea Bass from the skin. Repeat with all Sea Bass and place on a platter. Then remove the skin with the spatula from the grill and disgard.
The Salsa can be made an hour or two in advance. Place black beans in a mesh strainer and rinse to remove salt and liquid. Drain and place in a bowl.
Add corn, onion, and peppers to the bowl. Add juice of a lime and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Blend then cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for later.
Just before removing the Sea Bass from the grill steam the Sugar Snap Peas by simply adding about an inch or two of water to the bottom of a saucepan with a steamer insert. Add the sugar snap peas, cover and steam approximately 4 minutes or until they turn bright green.
Place Sea Bass on a plate, spoon generously with the salsa and place sugar snap peas along side. Simple, easy and very nutritious.
Enjoy!
Hi, I’m Vicki Bensinger! I have been teaching culinary classes throughout Missouri since 1992. I offer personalized private culinary classes for individuals and small groups in the comfort of your home or organization.
I love sea bass, simply love it, I think one of the best fishes out there
Me encanta el plato y los ingredientes!!
Un besito ^^
http://janakitchen.blogspot.com
Not sure if I know what fish sea bass is. I might now it in a other language. wonderful recipe by the way! thx for sharing.
Sea bass is a rare treat in this house, but I do enjoy the taste! You did bring together some complimentary flavors with the salsa! This looks like a well rounded and healthy dinner-delicious. Also, nice to come here and learn some knife skills too. Have a great day!
o yes..sea bass…can’t get enough of it. Looks great with salsa.
Hi Vicki, Can the sea bass be cooked in an oven, and if so at what temperature and for how long.
Thank you. Tammy
Nice recipe! Salsa of any kind is one of my favorite garnishes for fish, and this one looks particularly nice. Whole Foods is great not only for its veggies, but its fish. In St. Louis, Bob’s is probably a notch above; but barely. Nice post – thanks.
Helene, Sea Bass is also known in Europe as Branzini so maybe that sounds familiar.
Tammy, yes you most definitely can cook it in the oven. I bake at around 400F degrees for approximately 30 minutes. You can tell it’s done if you take a fork or knife and place into the meat of the fish. If it separates easily then it’s done. You can also boil water in a deep saute pan. Place your Sea Bass in the water, turn off the heat and cover. Leave in for 20 minutes and the Sea Bass will be done perfectly. You can also see 2 other recipes I have. This one is for the oven: http://in-homeculinaryclasses.blogspot.com/2010/12/sea-bass-with-san-marzano-tomatoes.html
while this one is the poached method I just talked about:
http://in-homeculinaryclasses.blogspot.com/2009/06/fathers-day-summer-celebrations.html
Kitchen Riffs – I normally buy my fish from Bob’s but since I was shopping at Whole Foods I decided one stop shopping was the way to go. I also buy at Straubs when I don’t have the time to run to Bob’s.
Sea bass is a wonderful fish and your preparation is fresh, flavorful and perfect for dinner. I just finished my left over beef stew for lunch, so I think I’m ready for a very light dinner tonight;-)
The sea bass sounds incredible. So fresh and healthy but that sweet and sour brisket sounds like my kind of meal. Need to get that recipe. Yum.
I haven’t cooked with sea bass yet. This recipe looks fantastic! Would love to try it. Thanks for sharing.
This looks delicious and I think making it with chicken is a capital idea! Thanks, Vicki and I hope you are well…
Hi Vicki, thanks for visiting my blog. I answered your question there. This sea bas looks really delicious…I have never eaten black bean except for in Chinese dishes, will try this salsa!
What a gorgeous dinner plate…I love everything you’re serving! I could just eat a bowl of your wonderful salsa!
Yes, I heard all about the stinky pluto water…but those who took a “strudel bath” in the spa(NO idea of the spelling) said the water didn’t smell like sulfur. I think my web designer may have just done what you and I do, and subscribe to the email…and then nothing happens. She must have not noticed :/ I will ask her again…I sure wish I could figure it out myself!
We don’t see sea bass very often, not sure why, my hubby loves it. This looks totally healthy and I love the chopping tutorial. I am trying to learn how to chop veggies properly and tucking my fingers under. Practice, practice.
Sea bass takes well to so many flavors. And black bean and corn salsa definitely sets a lively tone for the taste buds.
The black bean corn salsa sounds incredibly flavorful and awesome with sea bass!
Vicki…What a simple and elegant meal. I love sea bass (and Whole Foods! You are right..so inspirational on so many levels!) This feels like a perfect beginning of spring meal to me, and I’m looking forward to trying it! Thanks so much for your tutorial on a brunoise cut! Such a helpful tip! : )
Thank you for all your comments. Sea Bass is wonderful, if you’ve never tried it I suggest you do for it’s light, mild yet buttery flavor.
Allison as for my Brisket recipe you can find that here:
http://in-homeculinaryclasses.blogspot.com/2010/01/sweet-and-sour-brisket.html
I like how you eat fish wtih this black bean and corn salsa! The colors are amazing and this salsa goes well with the sea bass!