Crudo di Spigola
Vanja van der Leeden
4
Italian
Inspired by the seafood markets of Puglia, this fresh sea bass crudo pairs citrus, olives, and samphire in a dish that celebrates exceptional ingredients.
Ingredients
14 ounces (400 g) fresh skinless sea bass fillet
Zest and juice from
1 orange
Handful Gaeta olives (or other tasty black olives such as Kalamata or Taggiasca)
3 ½ ounces (100 g) samphire, washed well (if you can’t find samphire, substitute with thin asparagus)
Juice from 1 lemon
Directions
Cut the fish crosswise into thin slices. (You can do this ahead of time if you are having a dinner party and want to prep.
Store the fish in the refrigerator until you are close to serving, then allow it to come to room temperature before plating the food.)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and set a bowl of ice water nearby.
Peel the orange rind with a vegetable peeler, making sure not to take the bitter white pith with it. Then cut the peel into gossamer-thin oblong strips and set aside for garnish.
Gently hit the olives with the bottom of a glass or mug so that they split. This way you can easily remove the pits then finely chop the olives.
To make the sauce, place the samphire in boiling water for 1 minute and then transfer to the ice water. Drain well in a colander. Squeeze approximately ⅓ cup (80 ml) of orange juice.
Next, squeeze about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Purée the samphire with the orange and lemon juices in a blender until creamy.
Divide the sauce among four plates or two bowls. Place the sea bass slices on top and finish with the olives and orange zest.
Serve immediately.