When I posted the recipe for Cod with Macadmia, Lemon, and Broccolini, I already mentioned it could also be prepared with sea bass. I like the version with (European) sea bass, sometimes also referred to by its Italian name branzino, better. Another improvement I’ve made is to roast the macadamias first. I’ve served this dish at wine pairing dinners and it was a great success, so I decided to write a post about this version. I prepared and photographed this recipe while I was still at home, but am writing this from a campsite in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.

Ingredients

For 4 large or 8 small portions

• 4 sea bass fillets with skin, about 600 grams (1.3 lbs) total weight
• 200 grams (1 1/3 cup) macadamias, toasted for 10-12 minutes in the oven at 180C/350F
• 8 stalks broccolini
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice
• salt and freshly ground white pepper
• clarified butter
• flour
• vegetable oil

Instructions

Season the sea bass with salt and freshly ground white pepper on the flesh side, then vacuum seal in a single layer. Divide the fillets into two if you are making 8 small portions. Allow the salt to penetrate into the fish for at least an hour in the refrigerator.

Use a food processor or blender to grind 200 grams of toasted macadamias with 60 ml lemon juice, grated zest of 1 lemon, and 1/4 teaspoon table salt, into a coarse paste.

Steam the broccolini for 2 minutes. This is easiest in a pot in which they fit snugly, in which you put the broccolini with the stems down in about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) of boiling water.

Cook the sea bass sous vide for 15 minutes at 48C/118F.

Rub a griddle pan with vegetable oil and heat it up until very hot. Grill the broccolini over high heat until you see grill marks on both sides. Keep the broccolini hot in the oven at about 100C/200F.

When the sea bass has been cooked sous vide, take it out of the bag, and dust the skin side with flour. Heat clarified butter in a frying pan, and fry the sea bass on the skin side only over high heat (but not too high) until the skin is brown (not burnt) and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. The flesh side should remain medium rare.

Serve the fish (skin side up) with the macadamia paste and broccolini. Season the broccolini with salt.

Wine pairing

At wine pairing dinners at my house we tried this dish with the following wines:

• Walter Massa, Montecitorio 2017 (100% Timorasso, Piemonte, Italy): excellent pairing, especially with the macadamia and lemon
• Walter Massa, Derthona 2019 (100% Timorasso, Piemonte, Italy): excellent pairing
• Nicola Bergaglio, Gavi Ciapon 2019 (100% Cortese, oaked, Piemonte, Italy): excellent pairing
• Villa Bucci Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesei Riserva 2017 (100% Verdicchio, Marche, Italy): past uitstekend
• Benguela Cove Catalina Semillon 2018 (100% Semillon, Walker Bay, South Africa): very good pairing, excellent with the broccolini
• Benguela Cove Signature Chardonnay 2020 (100% Chardonnay, Walker Bay, South Africa): very good pairing
• Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay 2021 (100% Chardonnay, Yarra Valley, Australia): excellent pairing