Baked Sea Bass with Chimichurri Sauce

One secret to cooking seriously good food is having a killer sauce on hand at all times. My go-to summer-time sauce is Chimichurri, a traditional Argentinean condiment with countless variations, but pretty much always involves fresh parsley, garlic olive oil, vinegar, and some red pepper flakes or chili powder. I like to describe this sauce as PUNCHY - ie you should really taste the vinegar / garlic / fresh herbs in every bite. I like to spoon this glorious green goodness over grilled meats, potatoes, or (as in this case) seafood - and I've learned to always make extra, as it tends to be the sauce that everyone reaches for at dinner parties. 

seabass_chimichurri-9.jpg

BAKED SEA BASS WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

SEABASS WITH CHIMICHURRI

PREP + COOK TIME:

Ingredients:
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 small shallot, coarsely chopped
  • 1 packed cup parsley leaves
  • 1/2 packed cup cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning fish
  • 1.5-2 lbs sea bass (or halibut or similar mild white, flakey fish), cut into 4 portions
  • Instructions:
    1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
    2. To make the chimichurri sauce: Combine all the chimichurri ingredients in a small food processor and pulse until well chopped, but not pureed. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed - keep in mind you want the sauce to be pretty punchy from the vinegar, garlic, fresh herbs, etc!
    3. Lightly season the fish with kosher salt. Rub each portion of fish with a generous spoonful of the chimichurri and place on a foil-lined baking tray. Reserve remaining sauce for serving.
    4. Bake for 15-18 minutes — depending on the thickness of the fish — or until fish is firm and almost opaque all the way through (and reads 135F on an instant thermometer). Serve with the reserved chimichurri sauce. I love serving this dish with creamy polenta and slow roasted tomatoes.