Smoked sea bass with arugula pesto

Votes: 1

Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Complexity: average
Quantity: for a large company

There's nothing better than smoked whole fish, fresh from the grill. Like bone-in meat, fish retains its juiciness best when cooked whole. Chris Hart and Andrea Pyenson, the authors of this recipe, share barbecue wisdom in their books. This recipe was created specifically for a festival where participants cooked freshly caught sea bass. Grilled corn with cotija cheese (a hard, dry cheese named after the city in Mexico where it originates), mayonnaise, and ground chili is a popular street food in Mexico. One bite, and it's easy to see why. So, grilled sweet corn was served as a side dish, which perfectly complemented the smoked fish. Here's our version. This recipe is for a huge sea bass weighing over 10 kg, so you can invite a crowd!

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Smoked sea bass

1 whole striped bass or salmon (9–13 kg), scaled
2 tbsp (475 ml) olive oil
5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
5 tbsp (300 g) fresh parsley leaves + 1 whole bunch fresh parsley
8 sprigs rosemary, leaves only
1 cup (235 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup (75 g) coarse salt
2 tbsp (12 g) ground black pepper
2 cups (80 g) loosely packed basil leaves
10 sprigs of tarragon
12 sprigs of thyme

Arugula pesto

455 g of arugula
1.5 cups (220 g) shelled and toasted pistachios
2 tbsp (475 ml) olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
0.5 tbsp. (50 gr.) grated parmesan

Corn

20 ears of corn, husked, halved and blanched for 30 seconds
4 cups (480 g) crumbled queso fresco
0.5 cups (64 g) chili powder
10 limes, cut into 6 wedges each

Aioli

2 egg yolks
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp (475 ml) vegetable oil

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Recipes with similar ingredients: sea bass, corn, arugula, pistachios, aioli sauce, lemon juice, queso fresco cheese, rosemary, basil, tarragon, thyme, parsley

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Preheat the smoker to 200°C. We recommend oak or hickory for the wood.
Smoked sea bass.

Make sure the fish is completely scaled and gutted. If any scales remain, scrape them off with the blunt side of a knife. Pat the skin dry with a towel.

In a blender, combine the olive oil, garlic, 5 cups (300 g) of parsley leaves, rosemary, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper and blend until smooth. Rub the fish inside and out with this mixture. Stuff the cavity with basil, tarragon, thyme, and the remaining 1 bunch of parsley.

Transfer the fish to a large foil-lined baking sheet and smoke for 5 minutes per 1 inch (2.5 cm) into the thickest part of the fish, or until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 140°F (60°C).

Innings.

Carefully transfer the fish to a large platter or cutting board and drizzle with arugula pesto. Serve with grilled corn and queso fresco (feta cheese will work if you can't find queso fresco).

Arugula pesto

Pesto is traditionally made with basil, garlic, Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, pine nuts and olive oil, but we decided to mix it up a bit by replacing the basil with arugula and the pine nuts with pistachios..

In a food processor, puree the pistachios, garlic, and Parmesan. Add the arugula and pulse. With the processor running, gradually pour in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Grilled corn and queso fresco.

Preheat the grill to medium heat (you can hold your hand over the coals for no more than 10 seconds). Grill the corn for 5 minutes, turning it to ensure it's toasted on all sides and doesn't burn. Remove from the grill and spread with aioli, then sprinkle with queso fresco and chili powder. Serve with lime wedges.

Aioli

If you love cooking for a crowd, consider dressing as the number one secret ingredient for vegetables..

In a food processor, whisk the egg yolks, garlic, and lemon juice. Gradually add the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside.