Sea Bass Grenobloise Recipe
pan seared Chilean sea bass / sauce grenobloise / pomme pavé / seasonal vegetable
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Ingredients
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Sea Bass
Pomme Pavé (square potato)
Seasonal Vegetable
Sauce Grenobloise
Finishing & Garnish
Method
Pomme Pavé (make first — can be reheated)
- 1
- 2
Slice potatoes
Peel and slice Yukon Gold potatoes into uniform 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) thick rounds. Rinse briefly and pat dry to remove excess starch.
- 3
Arrange and season
Layer potato slices tightly in the prepared dish, standing or slightly overlapping to form a compact block (pavé). Tuck smashed garlic and thyme sprigs between layers.
- 4
- 5
- 6
Rest and cut
Let rest 10 minutes. Lift the block onto a cutting board, trim edges and cut into 4 even pavés (square portions). Keep warm in low oven (200°F/95°C) or loosely tented with foil until plating.
Sauce Grenobloise
- 7
Sweat shallot
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of butter and the minced shallot. Sweat until translucent (about 1–2 minutes) but do not brown.
- 8
Deglaze
Add the white wine and white wine vinegar, increase heat to medium-high and reduce by about half (2–3 minutes).
- 9
Finish sauce
Lower heat to gentle simmer. Whisk in cold butter, a few cubes at a time, allowing each addition to emulsify into the sauce (mounting beurre), until sauce is glossy and slightly thickened. Add lemon juice, capers, chopped cornichons (if using), chopped parsley, and season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Keep warm (off heat) but do not boil.
Seasonal Vegetable
- 10
Blanch or roast asparagus
If blanching: bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add asparagus and cook 1–2 minutes until bright green and just tender, then plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking. If roasting: toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and roast at 425°F (220°C) for 8–10 minutes until tender-crisp.
- 11
Sea Bass (cook last so it is hot and crisp)
- 12
Season and dust
Pat sea bass fillets very dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1.5 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper total (divide evenly). Lightly dust both sides with all-purpose flour and shake off excess.
- 13
Pan-sear
Heat a large heavy skillet (preferably stainless steel or cast iron) over medium-high heat until hot. Add clarified butter or oil. When shimmering, add fillets and sear without moving 3–4 minutes until a golden crust forms. Flip and continue cooking 2–4 minutes more depending on thickness, until the internal temperature reaches 125–130°F (52–54°C) for medium-rare to medium. Spoon some hot sauce grenobloise over the fish in the last 30 seconds to glaze, if desired.
- 14
Rest
Transfer fish to a warm plate and let rest 2 minutes. The residual heat will finish cooking.
Plating & Finish
- 15
Plate components
Place one pomme pavé in the center of each plate. Arrange the seasonal vegetables beside the pavé. Set the seared sea bass on top or slightly overlapping the pavé.
- 16
- 17
Serve
Serve immediately while hot.