A Secret Sauce for Sea Bass: Olives and Arugula

Olive sauce, combined with fish and fresh arugula, gives this dish an intense flavor without being too aggressive. Many of your guests might not even recognize the olive flavor.

Executive chef Mario Marfia of Madeo Ristorante in San Pedro likes to use the sauce to give the fish he cooks a mysterious air. It’s easy to prepare with just about any fish, but Marfia often uses sea bass. Serve with a California Chardonnay or an Italian dry sparkling wine.

SEA BASS IN BLACK OLIVE SAUCE

4 (8-ounce) sea bass fillets or 3 pounds whole fish

Salt

3/4 cup pitted black Italian olives

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups arugula leaves, stems removed

Steam sea bass on steam rack over simmering water 3 to 4 minutes or until almost cooked, depending on thickness. Season with salt to taste. Place fish on lightly oiled baking dish.

Combine olives, lemon juice and olive oil in blender and puree until almost smooth. Spread over fish fillets. Bake at 350 degrees 5 to 7 minutes or until spread is just warmed. Cover bottom of serving dish with arugula leaves. Arrange fillets over arugula. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

373 calories; 373 mg sodium; 93 mg cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 1 grams carbohydrates; 42 grams protein; 0 fiber; 44% calories from fat.