Pan-Roasted Striped Bass with Tunisian Chickpea Salad and Yogurt Sauce
This Mediterranean-inspired dish not only is light and healthy, but also has depth of flavor with a contrast of textures and temperatures. Most home cooks tell me they’re intimidated by cooking fish with skin on; they find it tears or doesn’t crisp up as it should. There are two keys to success: one is patience and the other is a well-seasoned cast-iron pan, preferably one that has gone through generations of use. The second alternative is to cheat and use a nonstick frying pan.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Yogurt Sauce
Preparation
Step 1
Put 1/2 cup of the chickpeas in a mixing bowl. Mash the beans with a fork or potato masher until they are smashed but still have some texture. Add the remaining chickpeas, the onion, cucumber, cilantro, celery, cumin, harissa, olive oil, and vinegar; season generously with salt and pepper. Set aside at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate overnight. Return to room temperature before serving.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Step 3
Put a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the canola oil. Pat both sides of the fish dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. When the oil is shimmering, lay the fish skin side down in the pan. Sear for 4 to 5 minutes without moving the fillets. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the fish is opaque, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully flip the fish over with a flat spatula, so the skin side is now up; it should be brown, crisp, and make a sound when you tap it. Let the fish sit in the hot pan for a minute to sear the bottom side.
Step 4
To serve, pool 2 tablespoons of the yogurt sauce on each of 4 plates, place the fish skin side up on top of the sauce, and pile the chickpea salad next to it.
Yogurt Sauce
Step 5
In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the yogurt sauce to a container, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use, for up to 7 days.
