Basa Fillet

Basa fillet seared in homemade sage, garlic butter served with yellow bell pepper and yellow cherry coulis. Basa is a highly versatile fish with a light flavour and velvety texture. All the elements of this recipe can be savoured individually, but together they create an exquisite dish. With just a little effort, you can enjoy this marvellous recipe with your loved ones.

Serves : 3

Ingredients

Marination

3 Basa Fillets

2 tbsp Lemon juice

Salt to taste

1 tsp Black pepper

2 tsp Cayenne pepper

Coulis

1 Yellow bell pepper

200g Yellow cherries

4 Truss tomatoes

1 Garlic

2 tbsp Olive oil

Salt to taste

Sage Butter

60g unsalted Butter*

10g chopped Sage

½ Roasted Garlic

Thyme

Lemon Zest

Method

Step 1 - Marination

Add lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and cayenne to a bowl. Mix well, then add the fillets and coat well. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Step 2 - Coulis

Preheat the oven to 200°c. Slice the yellow bell pepper into half, and chop the root of the garlic bulb. Then add yellow bell peppers, tomatoes, cherries, and garlic bulb to a baking dish—drizzle olive oil and salt.

Step 3

Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Then take the tray out and let veggies cool for 10-15 minutes. Then transfer the veggies to a blender and blend into a smooth paste.

Step 4

Strain the puree and keep it aside to cool down to room temperature.

Step 4 - Sage Butter

Preheat the oven to 200°c. Add half a garlic bulb to a baking dish and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then take the baking dish out. Let the garlic rest for 5-10 minutes.

Step 5

Then in a bowl, add butter at room temperature, sage and squeeze the roasted garlic. Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend till smooth.

Step 6 - Fillet

Lightly grease a pan with oil. Place on medium heat. Once hot, add the fillet and let it sit for 30 seconds, then add 1 tbsp of sage garlic butter. Cook the fillet for 2 minutes on both sides or till the edges turn light brown.

Step 7 - Assembly

On a plate, place the fillet, drizzle coulis, add some thyme leaves and lemon zest and serve.

Tips

1. Marinating the fish enhances flavour, don't skip this step.

2. While roasting the veggies, cut out any roots and stems.

3. Make sure your butter is at room temperature.

4. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a hand blender to make the butter.

5. While cooking the fish, ensure not to add too much oil to the pan.

6. Make sure not to overcook the fish; if you have a thermometer, it should read 62 °C.