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Pan-Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Chorizo Maque Choux

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5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Yield 4 servings + 6 cups maque choux
Category Main Dish
Cuisine American

Description

Buttery Chilean sea bass with a crispy crust served over a flavor-packed maque choux with crispy bits of chorizo.

Ingredients

  • 4 teaspoons avocado oil, divided
  • 4 ounces dry Spanish chorizo, casing removed and cut into ¼-inch dice (1 cup)
  • 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
  • 1 bunch scallions, chopped, white and light green parts separated from dark green parts
  • 1 jalapeño, minced
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into ½ inch pieces (about 3 cups)
  • 2 ears sweet corn, shucked and corn cut from cobs
  • 1 large clove garlic, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 4 (5- to 6-ounce) skin-on Chilean sea bass fillets, 1-inch thick
  • Chopped parsley and lemon wedges, for serving, optional

Instructions

Maque Choux

  • Heat 2 teaspoons avocado oil over medium in a large skillet. Add chorizo and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chorizo to a bowl. Reserve drippings in skillet.
    cubes of chorizo in a skillet
  • Add bell pepper, scallion whites and light green parts, and jalapeño. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook until peppers start to soften, about 3 minutes.
    diced bell peppers sauteed in a saute pan
  • Add asparagus; increase heat to high and cook 4 minutes.
    sauteed bell peppers and asparagus in a saute pan
  • Add corn and garlic, decrease heat to medium and cook until corn is vibrant yellow, about 1 minute. Deglaze with vinegar then reduce heat to low and stir in cream. Season with additional salt and pepper taste.
    sauteed vegetables in a saute pan

Chilean Sea Bass

  • Pat fillets dry with paper towels. Heat 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium for 3 minutes. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and heat until shimmering.
  • Place fillets, skin side down, in skillet. Immediately reduce heat to medium-low and, using fish spatula, firmly press fillets to ensure even contact between skin and skillet. Continue to cook until skin is well browned and flesh is opaque except for top ½-inch, 4–6 minutes. (If at any time during searing, oil starts to smoke, or sides of fish start to brown, reduce heat so that oil is sizzling but not smoking.)
  • Flip fillets and continue to cook until bass registers 135ºF (57ºC); 4–6 minutes more.
  • Stir dark green onions parts into Maque Choux then divide between plates. Top with bass fillets then sprinkle crispy chorizo and parsley over top.

Notes

If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, you can use a stainless steel skillet, such as this one. We do not recommend using a nonstick skillet since it needs to get fairly hot (not recommended for nonstick skillets). 
If you can't find, or don't want to use, Spanish-style chorizo, you can use thick-cut bacon or pancetta. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 recipeCalories: 305kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 35gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 394mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7g
Keywords Chilean Sea Bass
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