This Aquanaria Sea Bass on the seabed, is a recipe created by Samuel Naveira, one of the most promising Spanish chefs. Samuel, after working in prestigious restaurants in both Spain and France, returned to his hometown of Ponferrada in 2017,where, along with Génesis, his wife, he made his dreams come true, opening the restaurant Muna. in addition to culinary values (since 2021 it has boasted a Michelin Star and a Repsol sun), Samuel, with his cooking, aims to place value on the products and producers in El Bierzo, which he complements with others such as sustainably farmed fish.
Aquanaria raises the sea bass in the waters of the Canary Islands, in hatcheries in the open sea, 2 miles from the coast. There, the small fry is taken, weighing 15-20 grams, until they are ready to be fished (about 4 years). These young fish come from reproducing animals, so fish are not removed from the sea and, therefore, wild populations are not impacted. The rearing conditions are scrupulously monitored with aim of obtaining gourmet quality final product.
SEA BASS AND SEABED
Seaweed has been used in the kitchen since ancient times in countries such as Japan, but in Spain it is a more recent arrival at the hands of innovative chefs such as Ferrán Adrià. Today, it plays an important role in our cuisine. There are many types of seaweed, among them codium (Codium spp) whose strong flavour has led to it being known as barnacle seaweed. It is also a trend in cooking to use halophytes, i.e. plants that grow along the coastline. These include the sea fennel or samphire(Crithmum maritimum), with an intense flavour, and saline, aniseed (similar to fennel) and citrus notes.
En In this recipe Samuel aims to surround the sea bass with flavours and nuances typical of its habitat, the sea. It has achieved this thanks to algae, halophytes and razor clams.. The sea bass has been grilled with a final touch of charcoal to achieve the smoky nuances that the chef likes so much.
METHOD
- Clean the fish, debone and set the fillet aside to portion in 70 g pieces.
Recipe for seaweed purée:
- Desalinate the seaweed, changing the water twice over the course of an hour, sauté and grind into a paste. If necessary, add a little water.
To prepare the razor clams:
- Open the clams in pan on high heat, cut the tip into slices and save the rest for the emulsion, Use the tips in the vinaigrette.
- For the razor clam emulsion, blend all ingredients in a blender. Adjust salt levels, drain and put in a squeeze bottle to use.
Preparing the plankton sauce:
- Reduce the two stocks until the optimum point is reached, add the previously hydrated plankton, correct salt levels and texturize.
Preparing the sea bass:
- Par-cook the piece of sea bass and finish on a grill to give a smoky complexity.
PLATING
Arrange the plankton sauce as a base, surround with dots of seaweed purée and alternate the pickled razor clams, codium and sea fennel on top. On the sauce, make a spiral with the razor clam emulsion. To complete, place the piece of sea bass on top of the plankton sauce.
