Pan roasted Chilean sea bass over new potatoes, endives, and beets

     

     

     Normally I am quite modest, but this was absolutely delicious! The fish was perfectly cooked. It was buttery and had the slightest bit of smoke from the bacon grease. The salad was simple and refreshing. It cut the fat of the sea bass perfectly. However, I think I will try it without the Gorgonzola next time. I'm not sure if it really added anything to the dish.

     I love beets. They have a deliciously sweet, almost corn like taste to them. Plus, they are packed with fiber and vitamins! If I plan on having them, I always roast them myself. It's so easy and simple. I usually buy the red variety, because I adore their color. Though all the other varieties are just as delicious! 

     To roast them, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. I prep them by cutting the leafy stems right above the root (no need to cut into the beet). Then, I cut off any tail that it may have. I save the greens, because I like to cook them with a bit of garlic, olive oil, and chili flakes. You can cook them, as you would any leafy green. 
     After I trim them, they get a wash. Toss them onto the lined baking sheet. Don't worry if there is still a bit of stem sticking out of t he top of them, you'll cut it off later. Pour just enough olive oil over them to coat. Season liberally with salt. Bake for an hour, or until a fork can easily go through the biggest one (the larger the beets, the longer they will take to cook). Take them off the baking sheet and let them cool for at least 20 minutes. 

     When they are cool, cut the top off (the hard part where the stems connected). Use this as an incision to peel all of the skin off. The beet juice will dye your hands red, so you can use gloves if you like.. You can also use a small knife to further assist. Just use caution!!!! Cut them how you please. Reserve some for the salad. Then pop the rest into the fridge. They'll be ready for your next beet craving!!       

     
     If you are coming along for the ride, keep the oven heated at 400 degrees. The next step is to roast the potatoes. I like new potatoes, because they are small, creamy, and the skin is tender. Needless to say, they don't require a lot of prep. I often roast them with a simple coating of salt, pepper, olive oil, and any aromatic. This time I used lemon zest and french tarragon.
     While the beets are cooling, give the potatoes a quick wash. Toss them onto a baking sheet. Then coat them with olive oil, a generous amount of salt, ground pepper, lemon zest, and dried tarragon. For a 2 lb bag of potatoes I used the zest from 1 lemon & a few good pinches of tarragon. You can choose to use more or less.. Give the potatoes a quick toss to give them an even coat. Pop them into the oven for 35-40 minutes. When they are done pump the oven up to 425 degrees... You will need it to roast the fish.

     I prepared the endives right before I started the sea bass. Belgian endives were used, because they are known to have the most flavor. I peel off only a few of the outer leaves. Then quarter them. Make sure to keep the leaves intact with the base. Put them to the side.

     You will need a shallow oven safe pan for this. I used a cast iron skillet, of course. It's my essential pan! I also like to reserve bacon grease in the ice-box from when I cook bacon. It's a nice and tasty alternative to cooking oil. Drop a teaspoon of grease into the pan over medium-high heat. Let it get nice and hot. Then drop the endives in. Season them with a pinch of salt. Let them get a quick char on all sides. Don't cook them for too long! They should still have a bit of crunch. Put them into a bowl with a good ratio of beets to potatoes. Give them a quick toss with some lemon dressing and a bit of Gorgonzola.

 Lemon dressing

juice from 1 1/2 lemons

2 medium cloves of finely minced garlic

1 tsp dijion mustard

2 tsp honey

a good pinch of salt

a pinch of ground pepper

2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

     Keep the pan over medium high heat. Drop in another tsp of bacon grease. Season the sea bass with salt and pepper on all non-skin sides. Then drop it in the pan skin side down. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Using a spatula, flip it onto the other side for 30 seconds. Then flip it back to skin side down. Pop the pan in the oven for 4-5 minutes. When it comes out, immediately take it off the pan. You don't want it to get over cooked. Serve it over the endives, beets, and potatoes.