This was a fine supper of fresh Chilean sea bass, farm fresh tomatoes, potatoes, and spinach salad that we enjoyed at our house last night. I've provided instructions in this posting to prepare the complete meal from start to finish.
Ingredients:
- Chilean sea bass or other fish, enough to serve all who will be at the table (a 2-3 inch slice of a thick fish fillet could be enough for each person.)
- Medium size sweet potatoes, 1 for each person
- 2-4 fresh tomatoes (a half or two of a fresh tomato for each person)
- Fresh spinach
- Fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 2-3 hard boiled eggs, chopped (when water starts to boil, it takes 12 minutes to hard boil eggs) Spoon the eggs into a dish of cold water to cool. Remove the egg shells and slice the eggs for the salad.)
- Croutons
- Fresh thyme
- Fresh chives
- Fresh basil leaves, chopped
- Balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- Small can of Mandarin orange slices
- Sea salt (or regular salt if you don't have sea salt)
- Artisan bread, sliced
- Butter
- Honey mustard salad dressing
- Lemon wedges for garnish and seasoning
- White wine
Note: Some stores sell fish that already has been dressed with fruit and greens. It may be fine, but I do not buy it. I suggest you ask to confirm the fish you want is fresh, buy the plain fish, and dress it yourself. I always give the fish package the smell test before walking away from the counter. If the fish smells, I hand it back and ask for fresh fish ("fish that came in today"). If you accept it, you'll know by the taste that you should have handed it back.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Instructions:
Spinach Salad: Begin your supper preparations by making a salad of fresh spinach, chopped hard boiled eggs, sliced mushrooms, and croutons. Put the salad in the refrigerator until the other dishes are prepared.
Baked Sweet Potatoes: Wash the potatoes, use a knife to prick holes around the potatoes to provide places for steam to escape (otherwise the potatoes will explode in your oven) and put the potatoes on top of a piece of aluminum foil in an oven preheated to 375 degrees (on top of foil or you'll have a mess of sticky juices in your oven). Depending on how large the potatoes are, they're going to need to bake between and hour and 20 minutes to an hour and a half to become soft.It will be fine to bake the potatoes hour and a half if you're unsure.
While the potatoes are baking, prepare a baking dish of tomatoes and then prepare a baking dish containing your Chilean sea bass (or other fish).
Baked Tomatoes: Cut tomatoes in half (as pictured) and place the tomato halves cut side up in a baking dish. Sprinkle the tomatoes with sea salt (regular salt is okay). Drizzle a bit of balsamic vinegar and olive oil on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle the top of the tomatoes with thyme. (If you have fresh basil, chop some in a dish for the table).
Chilean Sea Bass: Put the fish in a baking dish. Sprinkle the top of the fish with sea salt. Cover the top of the fish with sections of Mandarin oranges (from a can). Cut 2-3 inch sections of fresh chives and sprinkle the chives about the top of the fish. Pour about a half inch of white wine around the bottom of the dish (around the fish).
Put the baking dish of Chilean sea bass and the baking dish of tomatoes in the oven with the potatoes when there is about 30 minutes left on the timer. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees.
Set the table. Put a loaf of artisan bread, a bottle of honey mustard dressing (for the spinach salad), and a dish of butter on the table. Then set the spinach salad on the table when there is just a few minutes left on the oven timer.
Make sure the potatoes, fish, and tomatoes are baked as you like them. Relax! It will not be a problem to add a few minutes to the baking time if you feel the food needs to bake a little longer.
When the food looks beautiful and your hungry, call everyone to the table. Bring the food from the oven to the table. Pour wine. Give thanks. Enjoy!
Have butter on the table. Each person can split their potato lengthwise, using their hands to push both ends of the potato to open the sides and expose the potato flesh. Knife sections of butter in the potato to melt. Sprinkle the potato with salt. Use a fork to scoop out the flesh and eat the treat.
Savor the taste of the fresh fish, tomatoes, baked sweet potatoes, and spinach salad and enjoy the fine meal.
This is an easy meal to prepare! Let me know how your meal turned out!
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