This recipe was created by Benito Gómez, the chef and director of the gastronomic project Bardal, which has been awarded two Michelin stars for 2024, based in Ronda. Benito, a highly, influential figure in the Spanish culinary scene, undertook his studies at the renowned Escuela de Hostelería de Sant Pol de Mar. He subsequently pursued acareer in the restaurant industry, working in notable establishments such as La Alquería de Ferrá Adriá and Tragabuches In 2016, Chef Bardal opened the doors of his eponymous restaurant , Bardal, which offers a seasonal, market-inspired, and traditional cuisine. The meticulous selection of raw materials is a fundamental aspect of this project, which aims to create honest, unpretentious cuisine.
Aquanaria is Spain’s foremost marine aquaculture company and the sole specialist in the cultivation of large sea bass for high-end cuisine. The Aquanaria sea bass is renowned for its exceptional organoleptic qualities. The producthas a mild and delicate flavour profile with no strange aftertaste. Its firm and juicy texture is a result of the infiltrated fat content. The combination of these factors, , along with the product’s substantial dimensions, ensures that it will consistently yield optimal results when handled by the most skilled culinary professionals globally.
FRIED GREEN PEPPER PILPIL
The concept of integral use is currently a popular trend in the world of haute cuisine. However, this practice is not a new development. Its roots can be traced back to a period when food was in short supply, and it was essential to use it to its fullest potential without wastage. In the current market, chefs are not only focused on using the product to its fullest potential, but also on applying their creativity to develop new and appetising dishes. As an illustration, brioche bread may be produced using sea bass fat or fried fish scales.
In this recipe, Benito provides an excellent illustration of creativity and resourcefulness. The bones and trimmings, prepared using a variety of techniques, form the basis for the dish’s preparations. These include the sea bass butter, which was then cooked with the loins, and the pil-pil of green peppers to accompany them.
METHOD
Sea bass:
- Gut the sea bass and remove the gills
- Fillet the loins with a knife
- Bleed the sea bass bones and trimmings in ice water and keep cold for the sea bass butter
- Remove the bones from the loins with tweezers and keep them cold.
Sea bass butter:
- Place the bones, heads and trimmings together with the butter in a vacuum bag and sealed at 80% double bagging.
- Place the bag in a sous-vide cooker at a low temperature of 80°C for a period of three hours.
- Allow the bag to stand for 12 hours in a cold environment, then regenerate in a bain-marie and strain through a fine sieve.
- Allow the mixture to cool until the fat separates from the liquid, leaving you with just the sea bass fat and butter.
Sea bass at low temperature:
- Divide the sea bass loins into 50 g portions.
- Prepare an 80% brine and introduce the portions of sea bass for 10 minutes.
- Vacuum seal the sea bass and sea bass butter together in separate bags.
- Cook in the sous-vide cooker at 65°C for 6 minutes.
Sea bass stock:
- Save the trimmings, bones and heads of sea bass, cleaned and bled, for use in the next stage.
- Add all the broth and chopped vegetables.
- Once the pot with the broth has been placed over a medium heat, it should be left to boil for 40 minutes. During this time, the broth should be skimmed as necessary.
- Strain and reserve the cold stock.
Pil-pil of sea bass:
- Cut the sea bass into pieces and then place it in ice water to bleed.
- Pack the chopped sea bass in a vacuum bag with the corresponding quantity of sunflower oil and garlic. Seal at 80% double bagging
- Cook in a sous-vide cooker at 80ºC for 4 hours. Stop cooking in a reverse bain-marie and allow the contents to stand overnight.
- Regenerate the sea bass in a round over low heat and mashed to extract more collagen. Once the mixture has reached the desired temperature, strain it through a fine sieve and allow it to cool in a container until the oil separates from the collagen.
- In the Thermomix, begin by incorporating the collagen into the mixture, followed by the gradual addition of oil. Continue to increase the speed until the pil-pil emulsifies.
- Keep refrigerated.
Pil-pil of fried green peppers of sea bass:
- Clean the Italian green peppers by cutting them in half and removing any strands and pips.
- Fry in sunflower oil without browning too much
- Dry well with absorbent paper
- In the Thermomix, combine all the ingredients and blend at maximum power for 10 minutes.
- Pass the sauce through an etamine and set aside and keep cool.
Spinach with butter and lemon juice:
- Add the butter to the pan and, over high heat, add the fresh spinach and sauté.
- Remove from the heat and add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and salt.
PLATING
Place the sautéed spinach in the centre of the plate. Add 25 g of the fried green pepper pil-pil sauce around the spinach. Place the 50 g portion of hot sea bass in the centre on top of the spinach.
