Sea bass rolls, or involitni di spigola, are what Italians would refer to as a secondo piatto, or a second dish – a meat or fish course following the primo piatto, usually a rice or pasta dish. They're popular in the southern seaside regions such as Campania and are relatively simple to make at home. As with every Italian dish, recipes vary from family to family and town to town. This recipe pairs the sea bass with fennel, cherry tomatoes, and lemon. Check out the video to see the dish unfold step by step.
Sea Bass Rolls With Fennel, Cherry Tomatoes, and Lemon
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 sea bass fillets
1 fennel
10 oz./300 g. cherry tomatoes
1 organic lemon
1 garlic clove
dill
extra-virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
flour
Method
Start by making the dressing. Combine the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest, dill, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together and set aside.
Clean and chop the fennel in two, then further cut each fennel half into long thin slices. Marinate the fennel slices with the dressing.
Cut the tomatoes in half and set them aside.
Wrap the sea bass plastic wrap. Very gently use a meat mallet to flatten the fillet. When the fillet is thin, top it with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Place 3 or 4 fennel slices in the middle of the fillet, then roll it up. Place the fillet into a plate with flour, and then roll it again.
Into a saucepan combe olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and plenty of lemon zest and let cook for a few minutes. Finally, add the fish and cover, letting everything cook together for 10 minutes.
When it’s ready, place the fish on a plate and then the tomatoes, the fennel, and a little bit of dill on top. Serve and enjoy.
