A Treasure Trove of Flavors!

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A mixture between a hearty fish soup and a fish dish served with a sauce, this sea bass fillet recipe is inspired by the flavors of South Indian cuisine and packed-full of the notes of tamarind. The creamy Turmeric mashed potatoes are the perfect foil to the delicious light and flaky fish!

       Sea Bass and Turmeric Potatoes in Rasam Broth

Serves 6
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes, plus 3 hours infusing and soaking

Ingredients

Sea Bass

6 sea bass fillets 5 oz each, skin lightly scored

1 oz of clarified butter

1 tbsp of lemon juice

3/4 tbs of coriander leaves, optional

coarse sea salt to taste

black pepper to taste

Potatoes

2 1/2 lb of red skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1/2 ounce of clarified butter

8 curry leaves, fresh and just the stems

1 1/2 tbsp of yellow mustard seeds

1/2 cup onion, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, finely diced

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tomatoes, halved, seeds removed and roughly chopped

1 tbsp of unsalted butter

Rasam

1/2 cup of tamarind pulp (at your grocer)

1 tbsp of sunflower oil

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

8 garlic cloves, crushed

1 1/2 tbsp of garam masala

12 curry leaves, fresh and just the stems

2 dried chillies, large

3 tomatoes, 10 oz each, each cut into 6 wedges, 3/4 inch wide

Preparation

Potatoes

Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, until just cooked. Drain and set aside.

Wipe the pan dry and return it to a medium heat with the 1/2 oz of clarified butter. When melted, add the 8 stems of curry leaves and mustard seeds and fry for 2 minutes, until fragrant.

Add the onion and garlic and fry for another 3 or 4 minutes, until  they start to soften. Add the turmeric, tomatoes and cooked potatoes, stir to coat the potatoes with the spices, then cook for a minute or so before adding the butter, 1 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Cook for a final minute, then set aside and just warm up when you need it.

Rasam

Pour 1 quart of boiling water over the tamarind and set aside for 30 minutes, letting the pulp soften and disintegrate in the water. Use your hands to break up and dissolve the pulp, then strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard the seeds.  Caution! Make sure the water has cooled enough so that you don't burn your hands.

Put the sunflower oil into a large pot and place on a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until they start to soften. Add the garam masala, 12 stems of curry leaves and chillies and fry for another minute before adding the tomatoes.

Pour in the tamarind water, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer very gently for 15 minutes. Take care that it does not come to the boil, as this will cause the tamarind pulp to split. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, stir through and set aside. You can let this  infuse for a few hours and then, when ready to serve, there are two options.

For a more formal look, strain the rasam for a clear broth; for a more rustic and informal look, you can skip the straining and keep the onion, garlic, curry leaves and chillies in the pot. Either way, you’ll need to return it to the stove and warm it through before serving.

The Fish

Place a large frying pan on a medium heat and add the clarified butter. Use 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt to sprinkle over the skin side of all 6 fish fillets, along with a grind of black pepper.

When the clarified butter has melted, add the fish to the pan, skin-side down. You might need to do this in two batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until crisp and golden-brown. Use another 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt to sprinkle on the flesh side of the fish, along with some more black pepper, then flip the fish over and cook for a final minute. Remove from the heat and drizzle with the lemon juice.

Plating/Presentation

Spoon the warm potatoes into a bowl. Place a fish on top or alongside, skin-side up, and ladle over the rasam. Finish with a sprinkle of coriander, if using, and serve.

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