Seared Sea Bass with Curried Carrot Puree

For the pureed carrots:
Preheat oven to 450ºF. Cut carrots into chunks, and arrange them on a baking sheet. Drizzle carrots with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20–25 minutes until tender and dark at the edges.

When the carrots have roasted, transfer to a blender with the rest of the ingredients. Puree until very smooth and adjust seasonings to your taste—I start with 1/2 teaspoon salt and increase as needed. Add more stock 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve the consistency of thin mashed potatoes.

While the carrots are roasting, make the bread crumbs.

For the bread crumbs:
Add butter and panko to a small skillet over medium high heat. Stir to combine and toast the bread crumbs for just a minute or two until golden brown. Turn the heat off and add the Meyer lemon zest, garlic, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Transfer the bread crumbs to a dish for serving and cut the lemon into wedges for the fish.

For the sea bass:
When the carrots and bread crumbs are done, preheat a nonstick skillet for the sea bass with a drizzle of olive oil and a pat of butter. Sprinkle the sea bass all over with salt and pepper. When the butter foams, add the sea bass and let sear undisturbed for about 2 minutes or until golden, then turn, searing on all sides until light golden brown.

For the wilted garlic spinach:
When the sea bass is nearly done, preheat another skillet to medium heat for the spinach. Add the spinach, garlic, butter, and a sprinkle of salt. Saute for 1–2 minutes until just barely wilted.

Spread some carrot puree on each plate, then top with a piece of fish and half the spinach. Sprinkle the plate with bread crumbs and serve with Meyer lemon wedges. Enjoy!

Notes:
• The carrots can be made in advance, a day or two even, and reheated in the microwave. Taste them again for seasoning and add a few fresh pinches of salt if needed.
• For the bread crumbs, use a regular lemon if you don’t have a Meyer lemon!
• Any kind of fish you like will work here! I like the skin off for a nice even sear, and sea bass is such a treat, but cod and halibut are similar and equally delicious.