Pan Fried Sea Bass with Harissa and Rose Petals Recipe
Adapted from a recipe by Ottolinghi from his book, Jerusalem. I have made Harissa Chicken before, but had never tried it on fish. My Harissa Chicken recipe is based on a recipe my late father-in-law found in the NYT cookbook. This recipe is a little more complicated, but also much deeper in flavor. I much prefer it -- although who's to complain when your father in law is cooking for you? I would imagine you can do this same recipe with chicken, and it would be delicious.
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Villa Jerada Harissa Paste
1 tsp Essential Pantry Whole Cumin - ground
4 sea base fillets - about 1 pound - skinned and pin bones removed
All purpose flour for dusting (or potato starch, if you are gluten free)
2 Tbsp Essential Pantry Rice Bran Oil
2 medium onions - finely chopped
6-1/2 Espelt Grenache Wine Vinegar (a little sweet) or Katz Trio Wine Vinegar (less sweet)
1 tsp Essential Pantry Organic Ceylon Cinnamon Bark - ground
scant 1 cup water
1-1/2 Tbsp mild honey - such as Les Ruchers de Bourgogne Acacia Honey
1 Tbsp Essential Pantry Rose Flower Water
1/2 cup Essential Pantry Black Currants (optional)
2 Tbsp cilantro - coarsely chopped
2 tsp Essential Pantry Edible Rose Petals
Essential Pantry Noirmoutier Gray Salt and Tellicherry Pepper to taste
Drizzle of your favorite Estate Olive Oil to finish.
Directions:
1. Mix together half the Harissa paste, cumin, 1/2 tsp gray salt in a bowl. Rub the paste all over the fish fillets and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least two hours.
2. DUst the marinated fillets with a little flour (or potato starch), and shake off the excess. Heast a pan with Rice Bran Oil over medium heat, and fry the fillets for 2 minutes on each side. Set the fish aside, leaving the oil in the pan. Add onion to the pan, and stir and cook for about 8 minutes - until the onions are golden brown.
3. Add the remaining Harissa, vinegar, cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, and black pepper to the pan. Add the water, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, until sauce becomes thick.
4. Add the honey and rose water, along with the currents and simmer gently for a few more minutes. Taste to adjust seasoning, and then return fish to pan. Spoon sauce over the fish and leave to warm up in the simmering sauce For 3 minutes. If sauce is too thick, add a few Tbsp of water.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with cilantro and rose petals and a drizzle of your favorite olive oil.
Adapted