Sea Bass or Salmon in Tomato, Saffron, and White Wine Sauce
Dairy free, egg free, gluten free, grain free, lactose free, nut free, peanut free, soy free, keto, low carb.
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: about 15 min
Total time: about 25 min
Servings: 2
A couple of years ago Andy and I spent a long weekend in Fort Lauderdale, where we discovered a gem called Sea Watch Restaurant. This place was elegant and, yet, relaxed, it had good wines and delicious fish and seafood. We ordered steamed mussels in a white wine and saffron sauce as an appetizer. We literally cleaned the plate, saving each drop of that deliciousness with bread (in Italy we call it ‘fare la scarpetta’). That was my first vacation on the sea after many years and it made me realize HOW MUCH I had missed those flavors!
As soon as we got back to Chicago I started looking for a similar fish sauce, and the one from bonappetit modified following my mom Novella suggestions hit the target.
Below is the recipe to prepare the fish with the sauce. Alternatively, you can cook the sauce separately (the recipe is in progress). This could be helpful if you are cooking for someone intolerant to nightshade plants, like me. I spent the best part of my life eating tomatoes for lunch and dinner to then discover I have hard time digesting them (granted, for this dish I make an exception 😬).
I pair this dish with either brown rice, riced cauliflower, or riced celery root. As for the cauliflower and celery root, I sauté them first. You can find inspirations on pairings by clicking on Recipes in English in the navigation bar and selecting Breads and Sides in the filter by course.
Ingredients
Garlic, 1 clove
Cherry tomatoes, 400 g (0.9 lb)
Olive oil, 25 g (2 tbsp)
Red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp
Bay leaves, 2
Dry white wine (like Pinot Grigio), 60 g (¼ cup)
Vegetable broth, 120 g (½ cup)
Saffron, 0.15 g (¼ tsp)
Sea bass or salmon fillets, 320 g (about 12 oz)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Parsley
Tools you might be missing:
Instructions
1. Peel the garlic. Wash and cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
2. Heat up the oil in a large nonstick fry pan. Add garlic and red pepper.
3. Add the cherry tomatoes, wine, broth, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
4. Cook over medium/low heat for 5 minutes. In the meantime, dry the fish with a paper towel and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
5. After 5 minutes lower the heat, add the saffron to the tomatoes, and mix the sauce. Add the fish, cover and cook over low heat for 6 minutes per side if using salmon, 3-4 minutes per side if using thin sea bass fillets, or 4-5 minutes per side if using thicker sea bass fillets (1.5-2 in).
6. Remove the bay leaves and garlic, add salt to taste, sprinkle with chopped up parsley and serve.
Sea bass and low carb
Storing and Reheating
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. You can then reheat it in the microwave for a couple of minutes or in a saucepan on the stove over very low heat.
Notes
Here I explain how to cook the fish in the sauce, but you can also cook the sauce separately (the recipe is in progress). This could be helpful if you are cooking for someone intolerant to nightshade plants, like me.
I pair this dish with either brown rice, riced cauliflower, or riced celery root. As for the cauliflower and celery root, I sauté them first. You can find inspirations on pairings by clicking on Recipes in English in the navigation bar and selecting Breads and Sides in the filter by course.
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, using the ingredient in the list and the USDA Food Database via myFitnessPal. This information is meant as a guideline only and should not be construed as a guarantee. Here we assume sea bass.
Serving size:1 fillet and ½ of the sauce | Calories: 228 | Total fat: 11.4 g | Total carbohydrates: 6.6 g | Total fiber: 2.1 g | Total sugars: 3.8 g | Protein: 2.1 g | Net Carbohydrates: 4.5 g