Spicy Sea Bass with Olive Dressing

This is a Sicilian inspired preparation for fish. The flavors balance out with sweetness, saltiness, and spiciness. A rich or fatty fish works better; traditionally sardines, which are very oily are used. The components to this dish can be prepared ahead of time, and are actually better if they can rest a few hours, making this a great preparation for dinner parties.

You will need:

About 1 lb of boneless fish fillet or about 4 large sardines
4 red hot peppers
¼ cup chopped black olives
¼ cup green olives
¼ cup Kalmative olives
1 teaspoon capers
2 White wine, slightly sweet works well
¼ White wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dry vermouth
Olive oil
Black pepper
Sea Salt
3 cloves of garlic
Several leaves of basil

Fish Marinade

• Slice 1 red hot pepper finely
• Place fish in a bowl and sprinkle with black pepper and red pepper. Add sea salt liberally. Pour 1 cup of white wine over the fish and let stand in refrigerator.

Olive Dressing

• Chop green, black, and Kalmative olives.
• Dice remaining red hot peppers
• Combine olives and peppers in a bowl with capers, vinegar, dry vermouth, and 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Crush garlic and muddle basil leaves and add to mixture. Season with black pepper to taste.
• Let rest to allow the flavors to integrate.

Putting it Together

• Fry fish in a pan with a little oil and white wine
• Using a slotted spoon, place olive mix over fish
• Serve with a pasta and side dish
• Enjoy!