Sea Bass with Tomato Raisin Sauce and Olive Gremolata

This sea bass is all about the sauces! A buttery and slightly sweet tomato sauce pairs perfectly with the fish and the olive gremolata.

I created this sea bass recipe after going on my honeymoon in Italy. We were at this amazing restaurant in Monopoli, Puglia called Don Ferrante. They made me one of the most incredible and unique pastas I’ve ever had. It was a pasta with red mullet fish and pine nuts, served with a buttery tomato sauce that was sweetened with golden raisins. Sounds a bit odd, I know. But that’s why it was all the more incredible. I immediately fell in love and knew I needed to recreate the sauce.

So when deciding what I wanted to do with this recipe idea, I thought that pairing it with a simple pan-seared fillet of Chilean sea bass would work well, and I was right! I also added smoked paprika to the tomato raisin sauce for some depth. So we have this luscious tomato sauce with a hint of sweet and smoke, paired an olive gremolata. It’s briny, zesty and nutty and adds nice texture as well. A balance of flavors and textures are both important!

Chilean sea bass is one of my favorite types of fish. It’s very forgiving if you happen to overcook it a little. Most fish aren’t. This makes it a great choice for those cooks at home who are unfamiliar with cooking fish.

Ingredient Notes:

• Chilean Sea Bass – If you can’t find chilean sea bass, cod or halibut are both good options as well. I serve mine without skin – you can ask your fishmonger to take the skin off for you if you don’t know how to do it yourself. if you forget to do so, you can still cook it with the skin, it’s not the end of the world! Cook it skin side down first.
• Roma Tomatoes – When you dice the tomatoes, keep the seeds and juices inside.
• Castelvetrano Olives – If you can’t find these, any other pitted green olives can work, too.
• Chives – You can substitute parsley or basil here, if desired.

Sea Bass with Tomato Raisin Sauce and Olive Gremolata

This sea bass is all about the sauces! A buttery and slightly sweet tomato sauce pairs perfectly with the fish and the olive gremolata.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Fusion, Italian

Servings 4

Equipment

• 1 Large Pan
• 1 Medium Pot
• Blender
• 1 Medium Pan
• 1 Medium Bowl

Ingredients

  

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For the Sea Bass with Tomato Raisin Sauce and Olive Gremolata:

• 4 (6-8 oz.) skinless fillets Chilean Sea Bass
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Avocado oil
• Tomato Raisin Sauce warmed through, recipe below
• Olive Gremolata recipe below

For the Tomato Raisin Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot halved, peeled, and diced
• 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 Roma tomatoes diced
• 1 cup vegetable or fish stock
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon Herbes de Provence
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Olive Gremolata:

• ½ cup pine nuts
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 24 pitted Castelvetrano olives minced
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced chives

Quick CopyCat Tomato Raisin Sauce (optional if you want an easier version):

• 1 cup marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock or fish stock
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

For the Sea Bass:

• Let the fillets of seas bass come to room temperature. Sprinkle all over with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Heat a drizzle of avocado oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add fish and sear until golden and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side, depending on size of fillets.
• Serve sea bass with warmed Tomato Raisin Sauce and Olive Gremolata.

For the Tomato Raisin Sauce:

• In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot, garlic, and a pinch of Kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-4 minutes.
• Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until slightly darkened and fragrant. Add Roma tomatoes and cook until softened, 2-3 minutes.
• Add stock, raisins, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, and Herbes de Provence. Bring to a boil and cook for 7-9 minutes, until reduced. Remove from heat.
• Transfer to a blender and puree with butter, lemon juice, and a pinch of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and season with more Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed.

For the Olive Gremolata:

• Heat a medium dry pan over medium heat. Add pine nuts and toast, stirring occasionally, for 2-4 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a medium bowl.
• To the bowl with the pine nuts, add garlic, olives, lemon juice, olive oil and a pinch of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, adding more salt and pepper, if needed. Once cooled, stir in chives.

Quick CopyCat Tomato Raisin Sauce (optional if you want an easier version):

• Place the marinara sauce, stock, raisins, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, and Herbes de Provence in a medium pot and set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened, 4-5 minutes.
• Transfer to a blender and puree with butter, lemon juice, and a pinch of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and season with more Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed.

Notes

Sea Bass: While best served immediately, it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Tomato Raisin Sauce: Can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator fir up to one week. 

Olive Pine Nut Gremolata: Best served immediately, but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The olive oil will congeal in the refrigerator, so let come to room temperature before serving. 

Keyword healthy, Pine Nuts, Sauce, tomato sauce

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