Tronco De Robalo A La Murciana Recipe

Prepare fish

If you have a whole sea bass fillet, trim to a roughly rectangular 'log' about 20–25 cm long and 6–8 cm wide, skin-on and boneless. Pat dry with paper towels.

Combine 3 tbs olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper in a small bowl to make a marinade.

Brush the marinade evenly over the top (flesh side) of the fillet and allow to rest, refrigerated, for 20–30 minutes. Keep the skin side dry; reserve remaining marinade for later.

Warm 4 tbs olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion and sweat gently until translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add sliced garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant, taking care not to brown.

Add sliced chorizo to the pan and cook 3–4 minutes until it releases its oils and begins to color. If using anchovies, add them now and mash with the back of a spoon so they dissolve into the aromatics.

Pour in the dry white wine and raise heat to medium-high. Let the wine reduce by half, scraping any browned bits from the pan, about 2–3 minutes.

Add the chopped plum tomatoes (or canned plum tomatoes). Lower heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 12–15 minutes.

Stir in the roasted red pepper and chopped herbs (parsley and basil). Taste and season with salt, pepper and up to 1/2 tsp sugar if tomatoes are too acidic. Keep sauce warm while you prepare the fish — if sauce seems too loose, simmer another 3–5 minutes to concentrate flavors.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Lightly oil a baking dish just large enough to hold the fish log.

Spread a thin layer (about 1/3–1/2 cup) of the murciana sauce in the bottom of the dish to act as a bed for the fish.

Place the marinated sea bass fillet on top of the sauce, skin side down. Spoon another 3–4 tbs of sauce over the top of the fillet, pressing gently so the sauce adheres.

In a small bowl combine fresh breadcrumbs, grated cheese (if using), and melted butter or 2 tbs olive oil. Mix until evenly moistened and crumbly. Press the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the fish to form an even crust.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12–18 minutes, depending on fillet thickness, until the crust is golden and the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Internal temperature should reach about 60–63°C (140–145°F) for moist, just-cooked sea bass.

Remove from oven and let rest 3 minutes. Spoon additional warm murciana sauce from the dish over and around the fish (reserve a little for serving).

Garnish with chopped parsley or microgreens and serve with lemon wedges on the side.