Sea Bass Acqua Pazza
Serves 2 Wine Pairing: 2022 Pedro Mendez Viño Branco Albariño
When I was in Italy we had pasta of course, but something to break up pasta on top of pasta (meal after meal) is fish. One of my favorite preparations is simple, and we’re talking as simple as olive oil and lemon. However, on a recent trip I discovered an interest in the Acqua pazza preparation. Acqua pazza essentially means ‘fish in crazy water’ and consists of a light, white fish poached in broth. In this recipe, we bake the fish. There are many variations of what the broth can be and that’s one of the reasons why I love this preparation so much. You can change up the ingredients based on the season and what you’re craving. This recipe is also incredibly easy with everything baking together in one dish (aside from the potatoes needing to cook partially through beforehand). Ingredients
- 1 lb. Sea Bass *not Chilean Sea Bass
- Olive Oil
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- Juice of 2 Lemons
- Parsley
- 1 cup Yukon Gold Baby Potatoes
- ½ cup Castelvetrano Green Olives (Pitted)
- 1 28 oz. can of San Marzano Whole, Peeled Tomatoes
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Sea Salt
- 1 jar of Marinated Artichoke Hearts
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a pot of water to a boil and throw in the potatoes for about 15-20 minutes. They will finish cooking through in the oven, but you want them close. While the potatoes are cooking, zest the lemon and set aside. Slice the olives in half lengthwise, chop the artichoke hearts, and set aside. When the potatoes are done, drain, cut in half and set aside. In a baking dish, pour a lug of olive oil to coat the bottom. Set the sea bass on top of the olive oil and season with cracked black pepper, sea salt, and red pepper flakes. Pour the lemon juice over the fish and spoon the olive oil and lemon juice over the fish and sort of massage the seasoning into the fish. Take the tomatoes and squeeze them into the dish, over the fish and then nestle the tomato alongside the fish. Be careful as the tomato will burst and could shoot across your kitchen ;) Add the artichoke hearts, olives, and potatoes to the dish alongside and on top of the fish. Spoon everything together and over the fish once before and then place in the oven for 20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Plate the fish and spoon a fair amount of broth over the fish along with everything else. Garnish with lemon zest and parsley.