This recipe is intended for thicker, skin-on fish fillets such as sea bass, halibut, or salmon.
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. fish such as sea bass, halibut, or salmon
Salt, pepper, garlic powder
Olive oil
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 cups sour cream
1 large lemon
2 cups basil, stemmed and chopped
METHOD:
Basil Puree Sauce:
In a blender combine sour cream with the juice of one lemon and blend until liquid. 1-2 Tbsp of water may be added if the mixture is too thick. Add the basil and blend. Salt and pepper to taste.
Searing the fish:
Sprinkle the flesh side of the fish with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Coat the bottom of a sauté pan with a nice covering of olive oil. Just when the olive oil begins to get hot, but before it’s smoking, add butter.
Once the butter starts to bubble, lower the heat to medium and add the fish to the butter/oil flesh side down. Sauté fish watching closely until the flesh is cooked about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the fillet.
Carefully flip the fish over to the skin side and let it finish cooking.
Separate the thickest part of the fish with a fork and if it is no longer opaque then it is finished.
Serve with basil sauce topping.
YIELD: Serves 2
SOURCE: Recipe courtesy of Hans Haveman of H&H Fresh Fish Company
