Basque Sea bass with fried garlic and paprika | Lubina a la Donostiarra
Donostia is the Basque name for San Sebastian in northern Spain. The culinary culture there is quite extraordinary and very rich, not only for their famous pintxos but also for traditional dishes such as this one. The Basque region has brought to us the best Spanish chefs, restaurants, and a whole range of innovative cooking techniques. This fish dish, though, is as traditional as it gets.
INGREDIENTS
1 large Spanish onion, sliced into 1/2cm rings
3 large roasting potatos, peeled and cut into 3mm slices
100ml extra virgin olive oil
1 seabass, about 1kg or 2 x 500g cleaned
5 garlic cloves, sliced
1 cayenne pepper
2 sprigs of parsley
1 tsp sweet pimentón (sweet smoked paprika)
A drizzle of white vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 200°C and line an oven tray with parchment paper or aluminium foil.
Peel and thinly slice the potatoes. In a pot over high heat bring some water to the boil and blanch for 4 minutes the sliced potatoes. Drain them.
Lay the potatoes and onion rings over the tray to make a bed for the fish. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper and a drizzle of the oil, brush it so it spreads evenly. Place the fish on top, season with salt, pepper and a drizzle of oil again and roast for about 13 minutes (depending on the size) or until ready.
Meanwhile, place a small saucepan over a medium heat with the remaining oil and cook the garlic slices and cayenne pepper until they start to turn golden. Add the sweet pimentón followed by the vinegar and mix well, being careful at this stage because the vinegar can splash out of the pan and drizzle over the fish. Enjoy!
