Cooking fish at home doesn't intimidate Chad Richard. Maybe that's because Richard, sous chef at The Optimist in Atlanta, grew up on St. Simons Island, off the coast of Georgia, and was weaned on seafood.
After learning his technique for foolproof fillets, we're putting his recipe for Striped Bass with Tomatillo Salsa Verde into regular rotation. Richard starts the fish fillets in a pan on the stovetop, then transfers the pan to the floor of the oven. Those fearful of flipping fish, take note: Richard's method skips nerve-racking flips entirely. Check out the recipe and more of his fishy tricks.
Striped Bass with Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Recipe adapted from Chad Richard, The Optimist, Atlanta, GA
Yield: 2 servings (plus 1½ cups salsa verde)
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Ingredients
Striped Bass
Striped bass, two 6-ounce skin-on fillets
Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon
Freshly ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon
Extra-virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons
Unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon
Fresh mint sprigs, 2
Salsa Verde
Tomatillos, ⅔ pound (husked, rinsed and quartered)
Medium garlic cloves, 4 (smashed)
Serrano chiles, 3 (stemmed and halved lengthwise; seeds removed for less heat)
Poblano chile, 1 (stemmed, cored, seeded and quartered)
Small white onion, 1 (quartered)
Fresh cilantro, 1 small bunch (leaves picked from stems, stems reserved)
Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon
Freshly ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon
Whole coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon
Limes, 2 (juiced)
Directions
1. Season the striped bass: On a large plate, place the:
- Striped bass fillets
Sprinkle with the:
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Leave the fish at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the salsa verde: Preheat the oven to 400°. To a large bowl, add the:
- Quartered tomatillos
- Smashed garlic cloves
- Halved serrano chiles
- Quartered poblano chile
- Quartered white onion
- Reserved cilantro stems
- ½ teaspoon of the kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Use your hands to toss the mixture to combine, then transfer the mixture to a parchment paper-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Roast the vegetables until they are charred and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
To a small skillet set over medium heat, add the:
- Coriander seeds
Cook the coriander seeds, shaking the skillet often, until the seeds are golden and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the toasted coriander seeds to a small plate to cool.
To an immersion blending pitcher (or a blender jar), add the toasted coriander seeds and the cooled tomatillo mixture. Add the:
- Cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons of the lime juice
Blend (we recommend using the KitchenAid® Pro Line® Series Hand Blender) until smooth. Taste and adjust with more salt or lime juice if needed.
2. Cook the fish: Heat a medium cast-iron or oven safe skillet over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. To the skillet, add the:
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Set the seasoned striped bass fillets in the skillet skin side down. Cook for 1 minute, then use a fish spatula or metal spatula to press down on the fillets to flatten them and ensure that the entire surface area of the skin comes into contact with the hot skillet, about 1 minute longer.
Transfer the skillet to the bottom of the hot oven (not the oven rack, but the actual floor of the oven). Cook until the center portion of the fish resists light pressure and the fillets are opaque from top to bottom, 12 to 14 minutes (if the skin looks like it is getting too dark, move the skillet to the lowest oven rack).
Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and return it to a burner. To the skillet (leave the burner off), add the:
- Unsalted butter
- Mint sprigs
Use a metal spoon to baste the fish with the butter and mint as it melts. Use a spatula to transfer the fish fillets to each of 2 plates (discard the mint sprigs). Drizzle the fish with the salsa verde and top with a radish-pepita salad, if making.
