Fish Fillets with Salsa

Attention! The salsa should be prepared two days in advance, if possible!

Preparation You'll need: A glass bowl (airtight) for the salsa A large pan with lid
Ingredients for the Provençal salsa (for 2 persons) 6 Tbsp. olive oil A large bunch of fresh basil 2 large or 8 small tomatoes 3 cloves of garlic 1.5 tsp. sherry vinegar 1 large shallot Salt and coarse pepper Ingredients for the fish (for 2 persons) 4 fillets of e.g. gilthead (around 400 g in total) (sea bass also works well) 1 organic orange (for a bit of zest) 1 organic lemon (for a bit of zest) 2 bay leaves
Side dish (suggestions) 400 g boiled potatoes oder Papas Arrugadas Rösti Bread, such as flatbread or baguette
The Provençal Salsa Check that there is white wine in the fridge! All the ingredients can go straight into the glass bowl: Finely chop 1 bunch of basil, 3 cloves of garlic and 1 large shallot. Core 2 large or 8 small tomatoes and cut the walls into small pieces. Add 6 Tbsp olive oil, 1.5 tsp sherry vinegar, a little salt and coarsely ground pepper. Leave to marinate for at least one, better two days.
The Fish Put some plain olive oil in as large a pan as possible (a lid is also needed). Briefly rinse the fish fillets and place them skin side down on top. Grate a little zest from the orange and lemon. Mix the zest in a little bowl with a little olive oil, salt and coarsely ground pepper. Spread it on the fillets. Add 2 bay leaves and steam for about 10-15 minutes on a medium heat, covered. As the fillets are quite large, I do this in two stages with two fillets each. I then park the first pair in the oven at 80℃ and do the other two. Then - per person - either serve both fillets at once, or one fillet at a time (this has the advantage that the second pair will be warm from the oven).

 

Loup de mer (fillets) with Gremolata

Preparation time: approx. 50 minutes.

Preparation You'll need: A pan A small pot A small casserole dish or fire-proof glass bowl (no lid)
Ingredients (for 2 persons) 400 to 450 g sea bass (loup de mer) fillets Alternatively, you can also take Dorade (Gilt-head bream) Olive oil Salt, Pepper for the Gremolata 8 cloves of Garlic approx. 1 bunch of Italian parsley (for 6 Tbsp.) 3-5 organic lemons approx. 6 Tbsp. mild pignolias (40 g) 3 Tbsp. (approx. 40 g) capers around 10-11 Tbsp. good olive oil Further side dish 2-3 medium potatoes (300-400 g) possibly fresh bread or flat bread
Roast the pignolia Check that there is white wine in the fridge! Roast the pignolia in a large pan until they turn brown. Set aside in a small dish, they will only be needed at the end.
The potatoes Wash the potatoes, put them in a pot, add enough water and 1 tsp. salt and cook until they are soft. Drain and let them cool down a little, then peel them.
Preparing the Gremolata All ingredients can always go straight into the heatproof bowl: Peel and press 8 cloves of garlic. Chop the parsley, you will need 6 Tbsp. Grate the peel of 3-5 organic lemons - it should yield 15-20 g zest. Add 40 g capers, 10-11 Tbsp olive oil, season lightly with salt, mix well and set aside briefly. Set 3 Tbsp lemon juice aside for later.
Preparation of the fillets Rinse briefly and pat dry. Season the inside lightly with salt and pepper. Put good olive oil in pan. Place fillets skin-side down in pan. Put just under 1 Tbsp of the gremolata on each fillet, place the rest in a small ovenproof dish (without a lid) in the oven at 170℃ for 10-12 minutes. Gently steam the fillets, covered, approx. 12 minutes on a medium heat.
Last step Put the Gremolata from the pan back into the small bowl. Add the pignolias and 3 Tbsp. lemon juice to the Gremolata and mix well. Place on the dining table for self-service.

For decoration, cut the grated lemons into wedges, add them to the plate. You can squeeze over the fish, or over the Gremolata.

 

Loup de Mer (whole fish) with Gremolata (Updated - v2)

Preparation time: approx. 70 minutes.

Preparation You'll need: A pan A small pot A small casserole dish or fire-proof glass bowl (no lid) - for the Gremolata A large casserole dish or fire-proof glass bowl (no lid) - for the 2 fish
Ingredients (for 2 persons) 2 whole fish, approx. 350 to 400 g each. Alternatively, you can also take Dorade (Gilt-head bream). 2 stalks of Italian parsley (for the gremolata, parsley is also needed). Olive oil Salt, Pepper for the Gremolata 8 cloves of Garlic approx. 1 bunch of Italian parsley (for 6 Tbsp.) 3-5 organic lemons approx. 6 Tbsp. mild pignolias (40 g) 3 Tbsp. (approx. 40 g) capers around 10-11 Tbsp. good olive oil Further side dish 2-3 medium potatoes (300-400 g) possibly fresh bread or flat bread
Roast the pignolia Check that there is white wine in the fridge! Roast the pignolia in a large pan until they turn brown. Set aside in a small dish, they will only be needed at the end.
The potatoes Wash the potatoes, put them in a pot, add enough water and 1 tsp. salt and cook until they are soft. Drain and let them cool down a little, then peel them.
Preparation of the fish Rinse the sea bass, pat dry and salt and pepper inside and out. Stuff each with a stalk of parsley and then sear on both sides in regular olive oil for 2-3 minutes in a non-stick frying pan or roaster until the skin turns brown. Then bake in the oven at 170℃ for about 25-30 minutes (depending on the size of the fish. If the fish go into the oven in the hot pan/broiler: 10 minutes shorter and no need to pre-heat!). Now you have roughly 10 minutes to make the gremolata (see next step).
Preparing the Gremolata All ingredients can always go straight into the heatproof bowl: Peel and press 8 cloves of garlic. Chop the parsley, you will need 6 Tbsp. Grate the peel of 3-5 organic lemons - it should yield 15-20 g zest. Add 40 g capers, 10-11 Tbsp olive oil, season lightly with salt, mix well. Then, 10-12 minutes before the fish are done, this also goes into the oven with them (without the lid). Set 3 Tbsp lemon juice aside for the last step.
Last step Add the pignolias and 3 Tbsp. lemon juice to the Gremolata and mix well. Place on the dining table for self-service.

For decoration, cut the grated lemons into wedges, add them to the plate. You can squeeze over the fish, or over the Gremolata.

 

Loup de Mer with Rosemary Potatoes - Whole Fish (Updated v2)

 

Preparation time around 90 minutes!

Preparation You'll need: A casserole dish A pan
Ingredients (for 2 people) 2 whole Loup de Mer (together at least 600 g) If you bought fillets, you'll find the right recipe here. 8 to 12 small potatoes (approx. 400 to 500 g) 1 large red onion Around 6 twigs of rosemary approx. 15 black olives 8 to 10 small tomatoes (approx. 400 to 500 g) 1 lemon to squeeze at the table Coarse black pepper, salt Additional ingredients (if available) approx. 1 kg fresh chard and 4 to 6 cloves of garlic
The potatoes and tomatoes Check that there is white wine in the fridge! Peel 400-500 g potatoes and quarter them lengthwise. Cut 1 large red onion into coarse cubes. Fry them in a large pan together with the potato pieces and some basic olive oil until they turn brown (approx. 5 minutes) - in the meantime you can peel the tomatoes (only if they are large tomatoes with thick skin) and cut them into small pieces. Chop the rosemary needles coarsely and add them, together with the tomatoes, to the potatoes, add salt and pepper, mix well. Place in the oven dish and place in the oven at 180℃.
The fish (you can start with this about 25 minutes later). Wash the fish, scale it, pepper and salt the inside. Sear on both sides in the pan and set aside. Once the potatoes have been in the oven for a total of 35 minutes, add the olives and stir again. Put the fish on top and cook the whole dish for another 25 to 30 minutes at 180℃.
The chard Cut the green leaves from the stems. Blanch in saltwater until the leaves are getting soft. Then sauté in a pan with a good deal of good olive oil and 4 to 6 cloves of garlic until the leaves just wilt. This doesn't take long, and you shouldn't overcook them. It should look like spinach, actually.
Fillet the fish Then remove the fish again and fillet it. You will surely need another 5 minutes for that, you may leave the potatoes (if needed, depending on the size) in the oven. Then serve the fish with the potatoes.

Loup de Mer with Rosemary Potatoes (Fillets)

 

Preparation time around 90 minutes

Preparation You'll need: A casserole dish A pan
Ingredients (for 2 people) 4 to 6 Fillets of sea bass (best would be to have them filleted at the place you bought them) Overall weight around 400 g! If you bought whole fishes, you'll find the right recipe here. 8 to 12 small potatoes (approx. 400 to 500 g) 1 large red onion Around 4 twigs of rosemary approx. 15 black olives 8 to 10 small tomatoes (approx. 400 to 500 g) 1 lemon to squeeze at the table Coarse black pepper, salt Additional ingredients (if available) approx. 1 kg fresh chard and 4 to 6 cloves of garlic
The potatoes and tomatoes Check that there is white wine in the fridge! Peel 400-500 g potatoes and quarter them lengthwise. Cut 1 large red onions into coarse cubes. Fry them in a large pan together with the potato pieces and some basic olive oil until they turn brown (approx. 5 to 10 minutes) - in the meantime you can peel the tomatoes (only if they are large tomatoes with thick skin) and cut them into small pieces. Chop the rosemary needles coarsely and add them, together with the tomatoes to the potatoes, add salt and pepper, mix well. Put in the oven dish and place in the oven at 180℃. Take a break for 20-25 minutes (depending on the type and degree of browning of the potatoes)...
The fish Add approx. 15 olives to the rosemary potatoes, stir well. After another 20 minutes, i.e. 15 minutes before the end, the fillets should be placed on top of the rosemary potatoes, so continue with these preparations straight away: Wash the fillets, pat them a little dry, check the skin for flakes, lightly pepper the inside and set aside. When the potatoes have been in the oven for a total of 40-45 minutes, place the fillets on top (skin side up). Pat the skin dry well and cook for a further 15 minutes at 190℃. The skin of the fillets should just start to brown slightly when the time is up.
The chard Cut the green leaves from the stems. Blanch in saltwater until the leaves are getting soft. Then sauté in a pan with a good deal of good olive oil and 4 to 6 cloves of garlic until the leaves just wilt. This doesn't take long, and you shouldn't overcook them. It should look like spinach, actually.

 

Loup de Mer on potato slices (Updated - v2)

 

Preparation time around 90 minutes

Preparation You'll need: A pan with lid A casserole dish
Ingredients (for 2 persons) 4 to 6 Fillets of sea bass (best would be to have them filleted at the place you bought them). Overall weight around 400-450 g! If you do have whole fish, just put them on top as they are when the vegetables go into the oven. 5 minutes before the end, check how the fish looks, maybe grill it briefly. 400-450 g potatoes (waxy) 2 small or 1 large leek (the leaves are not needed) 275 ml dry white wine 60 to 75 ml olive oil 2 lemons - for 60 ml juice (cooking potatoes and leeks) plus 20-30 ml for drizzling over the fish fillets. Salt, pepper, some basil for deco
Preparation Check that there is white wine in the fridge! Peel 400-450 g potatoes and cut or shave them into slices as thin as possible. Then braise in 60-75 ml olive oil and 275 ml white wine for about minutes, covered, over a low-medium heat (if you did use floury potatoes, then about 25 minutes). In the meantime... If not already done, fillet the fish. Thinly slice the leeks. Measure out 60 ml of lemon juice. Once the 40 to 45 minutes are up: Add the leeks and lemon juice, salt and ground pepper to the potatoes. Mix everything well and simmer for another 25 minutes. Meanwhile: Place the fillets skin side down in a large plate, lightly salt and drizzle with lemon juice, set aside. 5 minutes before the 25 minutes are up, preheat the oven to 200℃.
Bake in the oven Transfer everything from the pan to the casserole dish and place the fillets on top. It is best to place them so that they do not overlap and the skin is on top. This way the meat stays juicier and the skin is easier to peel off later. Bake at 200℃ for about 20-25 minutes. Place all on preheated plates and add some plucked basil leaves as decoration.