Marvin’s Five Episode 5: Sea Bass & Crispy Potato 🐟

Chef Marvin Gauci returns to our Fino kitchen for Episode 5 of Marvin’s Five and he’s whipping up a texture pumped sea bass dish, with an even crunchier FoodBlog twist! Catch the step-by-step video on FoodBlog Network and follow this recipe to get that fish in your belly! 😋

For this recipe, Chef Marvin takes 5 simple ingredients, all available from Arkadia, for delivery through Wolt, and transforms them into a dish of complex flavours with minimal effort. Really, you can make this at home in no time! ⚡

Recipe

A little taster of what to expect as your final presentation.

Ingredients

Apart from the basic ingredients of cooking oil, olive oil, salt, pepper, chilli, garlic and butter*. The following 5 ingredients will be needed for this dish. 

• 1 whole sea bass, filleted and deboned
• ½ lemon, juiced
• A small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
• 1 potato, peeled and shredded
• ½ cup Vermentino di Sardegna  

*Please note that chilli was not used in this Episode’s dish.

Method

1. To fillet your fish, all you need to do is run a sharp knife across the fish’s backbone, glide your knife along the spine and be sure not to remove too much flesh. Once you’re done with one side, turn the fish over and apply the same technique - the second side is a little bit harder to fillet, but don’t worry, you’ll manage. Sea bass is quite delicate, so don’t press too hard when filleting and remember to take your time. ⏰

Fillet your sea bass with a sharp knife to get the most out of your fish.

2. Once filleted, feel for the central bone in your sea bass, and use your knife to remove it. Add oil to a hot pan and place your filleted sea bass, skin-side down into the sizzling oil. 🐠

Be sure not to overcook your fish, this will dry it out. 😥

3. In the meantime, clean your board, shred your potato and place in a bowl of water to release the excess starch. Next, chop your garlic and parsley into a fine cut. 🧄

Shred your potato to get a crisp-tastic garnish - this is the golden ticket!

4. Since sea bass does not take too long to cook through and crisp its skin, keep an eye on it and remove from the hot pan after 1-1½ minutes.

Cook the skin first to crisp it up, gently cook the other side to heat all the way through.

5. Once removed from the pan, throw in your chopped garlic and the juice of half a lemon. Allow your garlic to get golden, deglaze the pan with half a cup of Vermentino di Sardegna and allow alcohol to cook off. Season your pan with a little bit of salt, some pepper and a pinch (or more) or parsley. 🍋

A little wine never hurt anyone! 😉

6. While the sauce is going, fry up your potato sheds. Remember to dry up all the moisture to avoid excessive oil splatters and to improve the crispiness of the potato. Fry in oil until golden and crispy. Allow to rest on a kitchen towel to absorb excess oil. Season with salt. 🥔

Remove your potatoes when crispy and golden!

7. Finish off your sauce with a knob of butter to create a velvety, smooth finish. Return your fish, skin-side up, to your pan to heat slightly and to allow it to infuse some of the fragrant flavours. This should take no longer than 1 minute.

Butter makes everything better - wouldn't you agree?

8. Plate your dish, fish first, followed by sauce - don’t forget to lap up all those flavours - and finally a crown of golden shredded potatoes. Serve with a chilled glass of Vermentino di Sardegna and take Date Night to a whole new level. 💯

Dig in... that first bite's gonna wow you!

Tune in next week for Episode 6, where Chef Marvin will kickstart your weekend with another beautiful dish!