March 2022

El Dorado Kitchen serves award-winning cuisine crafted with local, seasonal ingredients from Executive Chef Armando Navarro. Below is a recipe paired beautifully with our newly released Casteñada Rosé.

Recipe – Serves 10

SEARED BRANZINO WITH PIPERADE

~ Ingredients ~

Piperade:

• 3 plum tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped, about 2 cups
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
   medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 medium green bell peppers, stem, seeds and ribs removed, roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon piment d’Espelette (or substitute hot paprika)

Fish:

• 1 whole Branzino

Olive Tapenade

• Choose from your favorite

~ Instructions ~

Cut a small X into bottom of each tomato. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add tomatoes and cook until skin begins to wrinkle and peel at the edges of the cuts, about 30 seconds. Drain, rinse with cool water and peel off skin with your fingers. Roughly chop tomatoes and set aside.

In a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Add onions, peppers and salt and sauté, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, and peppers have started to lighten in spots, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and continue to sauté for 1 more minute.

Sir in tomatoes, sugar and piment d’Espelette, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until tomatoes are starting to fall apart, and peppers are soft but still hold their shape, about 15 minutes. Remove, cover and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens like a slightly runny relish, about 5 minutes more. Adjust salt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, add cooking oil and sear about 2 minutes each side until crispy. Place in 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes until cooked through. Plate fish and garnish with the olive tapenade.

Plate your dish. On large platter place piperade, lay fish on top of piperade and garnish with Olive Tapenade.