Braised Seabass with Pancetta

This comes to me from a close friend, so it is not a recipe I have tested yet, but I will be testing it within the next few days. From what I have read, it sounds absolutely delicious. It is not often I eat seabass, but I do love catfish, so I may test it with either tuna or catfish, which is easier to get a hold of here. 

Olive oil to fry

2 lbs. Chilean seabass fillets (or any other firm fish)

Salt and pepper

½ cup chopped onions

¼ lb. pancetta or bacon, finely chopped

1/8 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

The pulp from 5 heads of roasted garlic:

Recipe: Cut off blossom end of each head of garlic enough to expose inside of all cloves.  Brush with olive oil.  Place in baking dish which is just large enough to fit all 5 heads into, cut side up.  Add about 4 tablespoons chicken broth to bottom of baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 1 hour.  Squeeze whole head from sides to extract pulp from all cloves.  Set aside.

½ cup white wine

½ tsp. dried thyme

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 cup cream

2 cups chicken broth

4 Tbsp. (or more) green peas, steamed

4 Tbsp. chopped tomatoes marinated in a small amount of olive oil

4 thick slices pancetta or bacon, cut in thick pieces, diced, and browned to crisp

Additional chopped fresh parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet.  Season the fish with salt and pepper and brown it over medium-high heat.  Fillets will be about half cooked when done.  Remove fish from pan and keep warm.

Add more olive oil to skillet as needed to sauté.  Add chopped onions, chopped pancetta, red pepper flakes, and roasted garlic to pan.  Cook and stir for a few minutes, mashing garlic with back of a wooden spoon.  Add wine and cook for another minute.  Add thyme, 2 Tbsp. parsley, and tomato paste, stirring to combine.  Add cream and chicken broth.  Bring to a gentle boil and reduce to sauce consistency. 

Re-add fish fillets to pan.  Simmer until fish is done, basting occasionally.

Plate the fish and spoon sauce over.  Garnish with steamed peas, chopped tomatoes, crisped bacon, and chopped parsley.

If someone gets to try this before I do, let me know how it turns out. I'm very interested. It looks and sounds delicious. And if you or a friend have a recipe you would like to share with the world, just let me know. I'm always glad and eager to help budding chefs share their own talent with the world.

~Bon Appetit~