Pan-Seared Sea Bass with...Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Pipían Verde and Mezcal-Lime Beurre Blanc

An elegant, Michelin-star level interpretation of coastal Mexican cuisine. Flaky, crispy-skinned Chilean sea bass rested on a vibrant, velvety pumpkin seed and herb pipían, finished with a smoky mezcal-infused lime emulsion.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   For the Pipían Verde: Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until they puff up and turn lightly golden, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside. In the same skillet, char the tomatillos, jalapeño, onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves until softened and slightly blackened. Peel the garlic.

2. 02

   Transfer toasted seeds, charred vegetables, cilantro, epazote, and a splash of chicken stock to a high-powered blender. Puree until completely smooth. In a clean saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter, pour in the puree, and stir in the remaining stock. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes until thickened. Season with salt to taste and keep warm.

3. 03

   For the Chayote: Heat a skillet with 1 tablespoon of butter. Sear the chayote wedges for 3-4 minutes per side until they develop a deep brown crust but remain tender-crisp. Season with salt and lime zest, then set aside.

4. 04

   For the Mezcal-Lime Beurre Blanc: In a small saucepan, combine the mezcal, lime juice, and minced shallot. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to about 1 tablespoon of syrupy liquid. Lower the heat to the absolute minimum. Whisk in the cold cubed butter, one cube at a time, moving the pan on and off the heat to maintain a creamy, emulsified sauce. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and keep warm (do not boil).

5. 05

   For the Sea Bass: Pat the fish skin thoroughly dry with paper towels and score the skin lightly. Season both sides with salt. Heat grapeseed oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until smoking. Place the fish skin-side down, press gently with a spatula for 30 seconds to prevent curling, then lower heat to medium-high. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes until the skin is incredibly crispy.

6. 06

   Flip the fish, add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan, and baste the fish with the foaming butter for an additional 2 minutes until just cooked through. Remove from heat.

7. 07

   To Plate: Spoon a generous pool of warm Pipían Verde onto the center of four shallow bowls. Arrange the charred chayote wedges artfully on the sauce. Gently rest a piece of sea bass, skin-side up, on top of the chayote. Drizzle the velvety Mezcal-Lime emulsion around the plate. Garnish with micro-cilantro and a few toasted pepitas.