Grilled Sea Bass with Marinated Eggplant

In this beautiful and super-simple recipe from Tom Colicchio, he makes a marinade with olive oil, chiles and a mess of fresh herbs that he uses to marinate eggplant before and after it's grilled for extra flavor. Try this technique with other vegetables like peppers, summer squash, carrots – whatever is in season and at it's best!

Grilled Sea Bass with Marinated Eggplant
Photo: John Kernick
Active Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
3 hrs
Yield:
4
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Ingredients

  • 3 cups loosely packed small mixed herbs, such as dill sprigs, Thai basil, cilantro and parsley leaves

  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

  • 4 Fresno chiles, thinly sliced

  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce

  • 2 medium eggplants, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

  • Kosher salt 

  • Pepper

  • Canola oil, for brushing

  • Four 8-ounce skin-on wild sea bass fillets (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick)

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of the herbs with the olive oil, half each of the lime juice and chiles and the fish sauce. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper and add to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

  2. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan and oil the grate. Remove the eggplant from the marinade, brushing off any herbs and chiles, and grill over moderate heat, turning, until cooked through and lightly charred, about 10 minutes. Return the eggplant to the marinade and let cool to room temperature. Keep the grill on.

  3. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Grill over moderate heat, turning once, until cooked through and lightly charred, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.

  4. Add the remaining herbs, lime juice and chiles to the bowl with the eggplant; gently toss. Arrange the eggplant on a platter with the grilled fish and serve with lime wedges.

Originally appeared: July 2017

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