Ingredients
- 4 6 oz portions Swai/Basa filets
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp sofrito (ingredients below)
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 3 cups finely diced Peppadew peppers
- ¼ cup sherry wine
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 3 oz Old Bay seasoning
- 3 oz flat leaf parsley - cleaned, leaves picked & coarsely chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
- flour for dredging
Sofrito Directions
You will need about 4 strips of bacon, two fresh peppers red or green, a dried ancho chile or even a can of chipotle paste, one onion diced and a little oil. You first render the bacon and add the rest of the ingredients until they are all soft and cooked through. Let the mix cool for a bit and place in a blender puree until smooth then transfer to an ice cube tray. Once the cubes are frozen solid, they can be released from the tray and put in zippered freezer baggies and kept frozen for a couple of months. One cube of sofrito will be perfect for this recipe.
Directions
Heat oil in a large sauté pan over moderately high heat until hot, but not smoking. Dredge the basa in flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper and old bay. Sear the swai/basa for one to two minutes on the each side depending on the thickness. Remove the fish and place in a warm oven about 200 degrees.
Sofrito Sauce Directions
Add the sofrito directly to the pan with the garlic and peppadew peppers and sauté until garlic is nutty but not burned. Remove pan from heat and add the sherry wine. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Once the wine is reduced by more than half the original amount, turn off the heat and wisk in the butter to create a silky smooth sauce. Finally toss in the chopped parsley and pour over the fish to serve. Tastes great with couscous or garlic mashed potatoes.
Add the sofrito directly to the pan with the garlic and peppadew peppers and sauté until garlic is nutty but not burned. Remove pan from heat and add the sherry wine. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Once the wine is reduced by more than half the original amount, turn off the heat and wisk in the butter to create a silky smooth sauce. Finally toss in the chopped parsley and pour over the fish to serve. Tastes great with couscous or garlic mashed potatoes.
Gianluca Paris is the Executive Chef and owner of Luca’s Mediterranean Café, a fine dining restaurant, The Market at Luca’s, offering light bistro style fare and gourmet take out and Luca's Culinary Journey Catering in Keene, New Hampshire, where he lives with his wife Lindy and his two children. He is the recipient of many accolades, including “Excellence in Dining” and “Best Service/Wait staff” every year since 2002 from Market Surveys of America, along with “Best Mediterranean Restaurant,” “Best Fine Dining Restaurant,” “Best Caterer in New Hampshire,” and, for four years, “Best Restaurant in the Monadnock Region” from New Hampshire Magazine.