Borja Marrero, the author of this recipe for Aquanaria Sea Bass Tartare with Canarian Prickly Pear Sauce, is chef at the Michelin red star and green–starred restaurant Muxgo. Borja is committed cooking based on a zero-kilometre philosophy and a strong focus on sustainability. His great contribution to the recovery and celebration of native wild animal and plant species saw him scoop the 3rd Aquanaria Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España Sustainability Award.
Aquanaria is a pioneering company in marine aquaculture in Spain. Sea bass are bred in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off Gran Canaria. This poses a technical challenge due to strong currents and sea conditions, but it is the ideal place to breed sea bass. This results in a product with exceptional organoleptic qualities like a firm and juicy texture, thanks to the perfect amount of fat interwoven into the muscle. This is achieved over the four years the sea bass spend at sea swimming against the strong currents of the ocean.
CANARIAN PRICKLY PEAR
The Canarian prickly pear cactus is a plant synonymous with the islands’ cuisine. Its fruit, the tuno as it is known locally, has formed part of the gastronomy of the islands for centuries, contributing a sweet and slightly acidic flavour to desserts, jams and even sauces. But that’s not all the plant can offer in gastronomic term. The young cactus pads are also used in stews and salads, offering a meaty texture and an interesting vegetable component.
In this recipe, Borja honours his zero-kilometre, local-centric approach, using Aquanaria sea bass and the Canarian prickly pear. Here, he has marinaded cubes of Aquanaria sea bass with a Canarian prickly pear sauce. This gives the dish a citrus and fruity flavour that fits perfectly with the Aquanaria sea bass. Thanks to its mild taste and fat content, the flavours are absorbed without losing their identity. It’s a combination that refreshes and enhances the fish for the perfect dish with each element contributing its own personality without being overpowering.
METHOD
Marinaded Aquanaria Sea Bass
- Combine the salt and sugar (two parts sugar to one part salt). Set aside.
- Clean the sea bass and place in the dry marinade for 45 minutes.
- Wash, pat dry, pack and freeze for at least 48 hours.
- To serve, take out only the quantity required.
- Cut into equally-shaped semi-frozen cubes.
- Before serving, macerate in the prickly pear sauce for 5 minutes.
Prickly Pear Sauce
- Roast the vegetables in the oven for 25 minutes at 180ºc.
- Blend everything in the Thermomix, strain and whisk with the olive oil before adding salt and vinegar.
Seasonal Fruit Tartare
- Dice all the ingredients evenly, combine and set aside.
Citrus Sheep’s Milk:
- Squeeze the lemons.
- Crush the coriander, add the juice, milk and a little spicy oil.
- Salt to taste.
- Blend everything together in the Thermomix until you obtain a fine green milk (Ensure there are no pieces of coriander left. If necessary, pass through a fine sieve.).
- Thicken with xanthan.
Fennel Velouté
- Make an infusion of fennel. Bring the water to the boil and, once boiling, add the fennel (washed previously). Remove from the heat and cover.
- Infuse for 20 minutes.
- Strain, add the vegetable gelatine and bring back to the boil, stirring constantly with a whisk.Once boiling, strain and spread the gelatine in a thin gastronorm dish in a 2mm layer (make sure to do this on a flat surface).
- Leave to set.
- Once cooled, cut using a 3cm pastry cutter.
PLATING
Place the seasonal fruit tartare in a 1cm-thick layer in a deep dish using a mould. Place a 1cm-thick layer of the sea bass tartare on top and spread the fennel velouté on top. Serve the citrus milk in a small jug.
