Marijo Curić’s Adriatic Sea Bass

Notes from the chef:  “This dish is inspired by a traditional dish of Dalmatia (coastal region of Croatian Adriatic) based on a white fish & potato duo with the addition of Swiss char. My interpretation takes a sea bass with skin and scales to emphasize the fish itself and oppose the texture of the meat.  To complement a dish, I have created a cuttlefish and rock-samphire salad, a common plant of Adriatic islands and a common mollusk of our waters.”

Serves  10

Ingredients:

For the Sea Bass

• 3 whole fish, cleaned. Heads and tails removed.

For the Cuttlefish and Rock-samphire Salad

• 500g cuttlefish
• 1L milk
• 180g rock-samphire
• 85g olive oil
• 1 lemon
• salt

For the Lemon Cream

• 500g lemon peels
• 200g cream
• 100g lemon juice
• 60g simple syrup
• 25g butter

For the Sweet Potato and Garlic Cream

• 500 gr sweet potatoes
• 100g garlic confit
• 100g cream
• 50g milk
• 200g butter

For the Green Sauce

• 500g spinach
• 50g fish stock
• 10g parsley oil
• lemon juice
• salt

Method

For the Sea Bass

1. We need a sea bass fillet with skin and scales.
2. Heat the oil on 200°C and place the fish skin-side down in the oil and cook until crispy.
3. Remove from heat, add some lemon juice and olive oil.
4. Finish cooking the fish in an oven at 170°C for 5 minutes.

For the Cuttlefish and Rock-samphire Salad

1. Clean the cuttlefish.
2. Vacuum seal with milk and cook sous vide for 12 minutes on 70°C.
3. Once cooked, cool and cut into thin slices.
4. Place the sliced cuttlefish with the rock-samphire, olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl and mix to coat.

For the Lemon Cream

1. Peel lemons and boil 5 separate times, always in fresh water.
2. Add 350 grams of sugar.
3. Strain and add other ingredients.
4. Put into Thermomix, 70°C for 7-9 minutes and mash.

For the Sweet Potato and Garlic Cream

1. Cook the potatoes in boiling water until soft.
2. Only peel potatoes once cooked.
3. Mash and add other ingredients & spices.

For the Green Sauce

1. Blanch the spinach and cool quickly.
2. In a Vitamix, add the spinach and other ingredients and blend.
3. Strain the mixture and keep at room temperature.

To serve

1. On the bottom of a deep plate, place spread some sweet potato and garlic cream.
2. Place the rock-samphire and cuttlefish salad in the middle, and sea bass on top.
3. Drizzle the lemon cream and place some raw cuttlefish roses on the side.
4. Dress the plate with the green sauce as a final touch.

Recipe Courtesy of Marijo Curić of Michelin-starred Restaurant 360 Dubrovnik.

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