Sautéed Sea Bass with Corn Mushroom
Robalo con CuitlacocheCuitlacoche (also spelled huitlacoche) is a gray-to-black fungus, somewhat like a mushroom, that grows on corn ears during the rainy season in Mexico. Cuitlacoche is very popular in cooking and is used extensively the way mushrooms are. The exotic mushroom-like taste reminds some people of truffles, while others just say the taste is exquisite, but hard to describe. I agree with both. Chef Felix Trejo of El Campanario restaurant in San Miguel de Allende shared this recipe for fresh sea bass that he serves on a bed of cuitlacoche.In the United States, canned cuitlacoche can be found in some Mexican markets. Of course, nothing beats fresh, so keep your eye out for it since it may become more available as more people discover its exotic rich flavor. (See Mail-Order Sources for Ingredients.)
Equipment
- medium skillet
Ingrediënten
Makes 4 servings
- 1 about 8-ounce can cuitlacoche
- 3 teaspoons unsalted butter
- ½ medium white onion finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh epazote leaves or 1 teaspoon dried epazote
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste
- 3 teaspoons olive oil
- 4 6- to 7-ounce sea bass fillets, each about 3⁄4-inch thick
- 1 medium tomato seeded and finely diced
- ½ avocado Hass variety preferred, peeled and finely diced
- 1 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Instructies
- Drain the excess liquid from the can of cuitlacoche, but do not rinse.
- Coarsely chop the cuitlacoche and reserve it in a bowl.
- Heat the butter in a medium skillet and cook the onion until transparent, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, epazote, and oregano.
- Cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
- Add the reserved cuitlacoche, ¼ teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.
- Simmer the mixture, stirring frequently, 4 to 5 minutes, to blend the flavors.
- Reserve in the pan off heat.
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the fish and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until it is golden brown on the outside, opaque but still moist inside, and just barely flakes when tested with a fork.
- Season with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Reheat the cuitlacoche mixture and divide it equally among 4 serving plates and top each with 1 fish fillet.
- Sprinkle the fish with the diced tomato and avocado and drizzle with a little lime juice.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serve hot.
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