Zucchini-Wrapped Sea Bass with Tomatoes, Onions, & Caperberries

Photographs by Scott Martin

 This hearty fish dish is as gorgeous as is it irresistibly delicious.  Hearty sea bass filets, gently wrapped in thinly sliced zucchini, and baked in a ragout of tomatoes, onions, and tart caperberries.  The tomato ragout is cooked down in unsalted butter instead of oil, which creates a decadent bed for the tender fish to nestle into.  Caperberries are a wonder in their own right—they are actually the fruit of the caper bush and are about the size of a grape with a long green stem attached. (If you can’t find caperberries, capers or any briny green olives would also work well). Any hearty white fish, in addition to sea bass, will work well in this recipe, including cod or halibut.  Serve this dish over some pearled cous cous or orzo for an extremely satisfying dinner idea. 

Zucchini-Wrapped Sea Bass with Tomatoes, Onions, & Caperberries

  • Prep time:
  • Cook time:
  • Total time:
  • Yield: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Recipe type: Entree

Ingredients:

  • (4) 7-oz. sea bass, halibut, cod filets
  • 2 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch thick strips
  • Salt and pepper
  • Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup caperberries

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season the fish filets with salt and pepper. Gently wrap the zucchini strips (about 3 per filet) around the fish, seam side down. Drizzle the tops of the wrapped filets with olive oil.
  2. In a large, ovenproof sauté pan melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add in the sliced onions and cook for 3 minute, stirring often. Add in the tomatoes and garlic and continue cooking the ragout for another 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and tarragon.
  3. Nestle the wrapped fish filets into the saucepan of ragout and add the caperberries to the ragout as well. Bake the fish Put fish in pan and surround with tomato sauce plus caperberries and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the fish is tender and flaky.
  4. Serve each filet with a heaping portion of the tomato, onion, caperberry ragout.
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Comments: 2

  1. Diane Martin March 28, 2013 at 2:56 pm Reply

    Anna, I think Scott has a future as a food photographer 🙂 This dish looks fantastic. We’ll be in Atlanta next week (2nd thru 5th); I hope we’ll get to see you while we’re there.

  2. Personalchef07 March 28, 2013 at 3:04 pm Reply

    You are so right Diane! Aren’t his photos incredible?! Yes, he told me you get in Tuesday and I am looking forward to visiting with y’all! Safe travels! 🙂

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