AJ’s recently completed a very successful Seafood Extravanza promotion.  I would suggest that you stock up next time around. 

One of my favorite fishes is Chilean Sea Bass.  This is a full bodied fish, rich in oils, moist and smoothly flavorful.  You can cook the fish on a skillet, on the grill or oven bake it.  If you intend to cook the fish on the grill, I suggest that you wrap it in foil.  Otherwise, some of the fish is likely to stick to the hot grill.

There are endless styles in which to prepare the fish, all of which are quite easy.  We simply added some flavored bread crumbs and shredded parmesean cheese, covered the pan with foil and cooked it at 400 for about 20 minutes.  I’ve also prepared the dish in cilantro butter with lemon and garlic.  If you desire something with more zing, think about garnishing the dish with a salsa verde using tomatillos, cilantro, parsley, mint springs, jalepeno chilis (coarsely chopped), garlic cloves and onion.  We place all of the ingredients into a blender until very smooth and thick and then season it with a little sea salt and add a little white wine.  You can wrap each filet in parchment paper along with some sauce on the bottom and top of the fish and seal it.  We cook it for about 10-15 minutes at 450F.  Make sure that you preheat the oven. 

Still another alternative preparation is oriental style with ginger, garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce.  Or simply sprinkle on any of your favorite dried seasonings.  Some contain a base of dried garlic, onion, dill, lemon peel, tarragon and pepper whereas others may contain chili peppers, Oregon, crushed red pepper, corriander and Saffron.   

There are two styles of whites to consider: the first is a crisp wine with lively acidity and fresh (recent vintage).  We asked Kevin Anderson, cellar manager of AJ’s, to suggest a couple of wines to pair and here’s what he came up with.  The Chasing Venus Sauvignon Blanc, 2009 from New Zealand ($16.99) with its classic zesty citrus notes of gooseberry, grapefruit and lemon-lime and aromas of wet grass.  The alternative is one that most of you probably have not tried.  It’s the Hugh Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet, 2008 from the Languedoc region of southern France ($13.99).  This grape is one of the components of the Chateauneuf-du-Pape blanc and offers up steely dry crisp flavors of green apple, grapefruit, and a hint of spice.  The alternative is to go with a wine that is more full yet retains some fresh acidity.  This style would work well if you used a creamy sauce for the Sea Bass.  For that option, Kevin went with a St Supery “Virtu” White Meritage 2006 from Napa Valley, California ($24.99).  The wine is a gorgeous blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, leading to a wine with a lemon meringue flavor and texture yet still retaining an underlying acidity.  The wine should be consumed this year.  Bon appetit….

Tags: AJ's Fine Foods, Sauvignon Blanc, sea bass, Semillon