Chef's Recipe: Seared Sea Fish on Root Cream, Citrus, and Pomegranate
Chef Shaked Pachima shares a festive Sukkot recipe for seared sea fish served over a silky root vegetable cream, bright citrus glaze, and crunchy pomegranate seeds.
With the Sukkot holiday just around the corner, it is the perfect time for a festive recipe that looks stunning yet requires minimal kitchen effort. Chef Shaked Pachima from the restaurant "Hula Hula" shared a recipe for seared sea fish with root vegetable cream, citrus, and pomegranate — a vibrant combination of flavors, colors, and textures that steals the holiday show.
Ingredients
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For the fish: 4 sea bass or branzino fillets (skin-on, boneless), 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt.
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For the cream: 1 celeriac root (peeled and diced), 2 parsley roots (peeled and diced), 2 medium potatoes (peeled and diced), 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and white pepper.
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For the glaze: ½ cup freshly squeezed orange or clementine juice, 2 tablespoons Arak, 2 tablespoons date syrup (silan), 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
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For the crunch: ½ cup roasted and coarsely chopped pistachios, ½ cup pomegranate seeds, a handful of chopped cilantro or mint, 1 teaspoon sumac, coarse salt.
Preparation Method
Root Cream: Cook the celeriac, parsley roots, and potatoes in a pot of salted water until completely tender. Drain, saving ½ cup of the cooking water. Blend the vegetables with olive oil, salt, white pepper, and a bit of the cooking water until smooth.
Citrus Glaze: In a small pan, combine the citrus juice, Arak, silan, and mustard. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 4 minutes until slightly reduced and thickened.
Seared Fish: Pat the fillets thoroughly dry and season with salt. Score the skin with two shallow diagonal slashes. Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and place the fish skin-side down. Sear for 3-4 minutes until the skin is golden and crispy, then flip and sear for one more minute.
To serve: Spread the root cream in the center of the plate, place the fish on top skin-side up, drizzle the glaze around the fish to keep the skin crisp, and garnish with pistachios, pomegranate, herbs, sumac, and coarse salt.
