Fish and Salted Pork Products.

[madbaker]

This week's Resolution Recipe: Pancetta-Wrapped Sea Bass

2 sea bass filets, 1/2 lb each
4 ounces pancetta (I don't expect anyone else to use house-cured, but what the heck)
1 large garlic clove
1/2 tsp finely minced fresh rosemary
pinch salt
olive oil

Wash fish and pat dry. Sprinkle salt over filets and finely slice the garlic (I used a garlic mandoline). Place the garlic and rosemary on the fish and then wrap the coated areas with the pancetta, overlapping slightly. Lightly brush a grill pan with oil and bake fish at 425 for 12 minutes, then switch to broil for 5-8 minutes.

What worked: It tasted good. Not knock-your-socks-off good, as did a similar dish we had at Rubicon, but good.

What didn't: It was a tad bland, surprisingly.
I wrapped the fish longitudinally; I think it would work better latitudinally. Cooking in a skillet might be better as then it would fry in some of the rendered pancetta fat. And... I think cutting the filets in half to make 4 oz pieces might be a better balance, although that would obviously adjust the cooking time.

Geez, with that amount of comment you'd think that this was an utter failure. It wasn't; just that I can think of tweaks.

Will I make it again? I may. I've got a fair amount of house-cured pancetta in the freezer.

Comments

[ldyanna.livejournal.com]

Not to be picky, but where did you put the garlic and rosemary? Under the pancetta against the fish, or just in the pan as you broiled it?

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

Um... I forgot to type that part. Thanks. Fixed now.