Moroccan-style Sea Bass in a Golden Balloon
In New York’s famous Rainbow Room, the “golden balloon” was made from a special gold-colored foil, but you can make your own spectacular presentation by wrapping the sea bass in silver balloon — aluminum foil. The fish are served with a Moroccan-flavored sauce of tomatoes and harissa, a simple eggplant compote, and couscous with fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- Tomato-Harissa Sauce
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Onion - 1/2 cup finely, chopped
- Garlic - 1 tablespoon, minced
- Tomato paste - 2 tablespoons
- Dry white wine - 1 cup
- Beefsteak tomatoes - 2 large, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped, or 2 cups canned plum tomatoes, drained, seeded, and chopped
- Carrot - 1/4 cup, finely diced, peeled
- Celery - 1/2 cup, finely diced
- Dried Oregano - 1/2 teaspoon
- Bay Leaves - 2 to 3
- Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
- Cinnamon Stick - One, 3-inch
- Harissa - about 2 tablespoons (alt. 1 tablespoon Thai chili paste)
- Eggplant Compote
- Globe Eggplant - 1 large
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Ground Cumin - 1 teaspoon
- Dry white wine - 1/2 cup
- Sea Bass Fillets - four, 6-ounce, skin removed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Unsalted Butter - 1 tablespoon, at room temperature
- Dry white wine - 1 cup
- Couscous (recipe follows)
- Herbed Couscous (Makes 4 cups)
- Chicken Stock - 1 cup
- Couscous - 1 cup
- Fresh Parsley - 3 tablespoons, minced
- Finely diced cucumber - 1/2 cup
- Fresh mint - 2 tablespoons, minced
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
To make the tomato-harissa sauce: Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a medium saute pan or skillet over medium heat, heat the oil and saute the onion and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook and stir over high heat until the tomatoes are caramelized and all of the moisture is removed from the paste. Add the wine to the pan and bring it to a boil. Stir in the tomatoes, carrot, celery, and oregano. Set aside.
Make a bouquet garni by tying the bay leaves, cumin seeds, and cinnamon stick in a square of cheesecloth with cotton string. Add the bouquet garni to the tomato mixture, cover, and bake for 1 hour. Let cool slightly, then remove the bouquet garni and gradually stir in the harissa to taste.
To prepare the compote: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut the unpeeled eggplant lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then into 1/4-inch julienne. In a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and fry the eggplant strips, adding the remaining oil as necessary. Sprinkle the eggplant with the cumin, add the wine, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and bake for 15 minutes.
To prepare the sea bass: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Season the fish fillets on both sides with salt and pepper. Cut four 12-inch squares of aluminum foil and spread the non-shiny side of each with some of the butter.
Place a portion of the eggplant compote halfway between the center of a foil square and one of its points. Top with some of the tomato-harissa sauce. Top with one fish fillet. Fold one corner of the foil over to meet the opposite corner, forming a triangle with the fish inside. Tightly fold and crimp the edges to form a half circle, leaving a small opening at one end. Into this opening, carefully pour about 1/4 cup of wine, then tightly crimp the foil so that no steam can escape during the cooking process. Repeat to make four packets.
Place each foil packet in a large saute pan or skillet over high heat and cook until the foil puffs, about 1 minute. Place the packets on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes for 1-inch-thick fish (adjust the time if the fish is thicker or thinner).
To serve: Bring the puffed “balloons” to the table and open then in front of the guests to let them appreciate the aromas. Spoon the fish onto serving plates and surround each serving with the sauce and eggplant compote from the packet. Serve with couscous.
Herbed Couscous
Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Place the couscous in another medium saucepan and pour the boiling stock over the couscous. Stir to mix well, cover, and set aside until the liquid is completely absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Serve immediately.
