Sea bass with sautéed wild mushrooms, sage & crispy Serrano
Try José Pizzaro's recipe for a simple Spanish-style fish supper that's on the table in less than 30 minutes. By José Pizarro From Saturday Kitchen. See also 'Seasonal Spanish Food’ by José Pizarro. Serves 4
6 tbsp olive oil
1 banana shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
200g/7oz mixed wild mushrooms, chopped
12 fresh sage leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
300ml/11fl oz fish stock
75g/3oz Serrano ham, chopped (reserve 4 whole slices)
4 x 175g/6oz sea bass fillets, skin on
Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a wok, add the shallot and garlic, and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until softened.
Add the chopped mushrooms and four of the sage leaves and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring well. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Add the fish stock and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook until most of the stock has evaporated. Stir in the chopped Serrano ham.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan and fry the remaining sage leaves and slices of ham for 1-2 minutes, or until just crisp. Remove the sage leaves and ham from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
Add the sea bass fillets, skin-side down, to the same frying pan and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown. Carefully turn the fillets over and fry for a further 1-2 minutes, or until the sea bass is cooked through.
To serve, spoon the mushroom mixture onto serving plates, sit a sea bass fillet on top of each pile of mushrooms. Top with the crispy sage and one slice of Serrano ham.