Resort Chef Dishes on His Most Popular Recipe

While some people go out to restaurants so that they don’t have to cook, others go seeking culinary inspiration for recipes to try on their own. However, recreating gourmet dishes that you’ve had in restaurants is no easy feat, but when a chef finally reveals his most popular recipe, it’s time to heat up the oven. Chef Gerardo Garcia Martinez has dazzled taste buds for years, from the gourmet kitchens of Mexico City to international culinary festivals. Today, he can be found in Danzante Restaurant at Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto, where he makes every meal on vacation an exquisite feast. This coastal city is known for its abundant seafood, and every day, Chef Gerardo is cooking sea bass for his famous fish crusted in three chiles. With his most popular fish recipe here, you’ll be able to learn how to cook fish like a pro right in your own kitchen.

Cooking Sea Bass

While most people have a few favorite recipes up their sleeves, learning how to cook fish can be a bit intimidating at first, but once you’ve tried it, you’ll be reaching for a new fish recipe every week and even experimenting with cooking sea bass. Like all other meats, cooking bass can be done on the stovetop or in the oven. Start with a sea bass recipe full of flavors and spices. On the stovetop, heat up a tablespoon of oil, and cook each side of the fillet for three-four minutes. You can also learn how to cook sea bass in the oven. Place the fish in a greased glass pan, and bake it at 400°F for 15-20 minutes. Either of these options for how to cook fish should result in white, flaky meat. If the fillet doesn’t flake easily with a fork, continue the process of cooking bass for another minute or two. 

Fish Crusted in Three Chiles Recipe

Chef Gerardo’s recipe for how to cook bass can be done with a variety of different white fish, and while your fillets could be served with a variety of sides, his signature risotto is the perfect match for this sea bass recipe. 

Ingredients for Chef Gerardo’s Fish Recipe

• Sea bass, comber, or snook
• 3 guajillo chiles
• 3 ancho chiles
• 3 pasilla chiles
• ¼ white onion
• ¼ cup cilantro
• 3 limes, juiced
• ½ orange, juiced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Directions for How to Cook Sea Bass

• To prepare the coating for the fish, begin by soaking the different chiles for two hours. Afterwards, drain them and then chop them together with the other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• The first step for cooking bass like Chef Gerardo is to precook each fillet of fish on both sides for five minutes each. This extra step for how to cook sea bass will give you a nice, crisp coating. 
• Then, coat the fish in the chile mixture.
• If you have a salamander oven, finish browning the fillets in there. However, most home kitchens don’t, in which case, the best option for how to cook bass is in the oven at 400°F for 12 minutes or until the chili crust is golden.

Risotto Ingredients:

• 2 cups arborio or short grained rice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 7 tbsp butter
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups chicken broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Cook the Risotto:

• Heat the oil in the pan.
• Roast the garlic in it until it’s starting to brown.
• Add in the onions, and saute until they soften
• Add the rice, and stir for five minutes.
• Add the cup of wine, and cook until most of the wine has reduced to half.
• Add one cup of chicken broth, and boil the mixture until the remaining liquids have evaporated.
• Add in the butter, the rest of the chicken broth, and let it cook.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

To finish off this sea bass recipe, you can serve the fillet and risotto with steamed vegetables or an arugula and spinach salad tossed with olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

Learning how to cook bass and risotto is an accomplishment, and the best way to celebrate is by digging into your mouth-watering creation. However, once you’ve become familiar with cooking sea bass, it’ll start to become a staple in your diet, and because it’s rich with vitamins, it’ll leave you feeling healthy and strong.