Grilled White Sea Bass by Chef Gus Trejo of Dream Inn, Santa Cruz

Ghosts are good eating, it turns out. 

Fisherfolk categorize white sea bass as a ghost fish because they are so elusive, which makes them all the more prized when their fleeting season comes around—as it just might in September. (Or might not.)

The arrival of white sea bass might be unpredictable, as Jenn Gerard Lovewell and Alan Lovewell of Real Good Fish point out, but producing delicious dishes with it is not.

“There are lots of different preparations,” Alan says. “You can actually grill it if you want.”

That’s precisely what star local chef Gus Trejo of Dream Inn does with this dish. The recipe also highlights late summer harvest produce, all seasoned with the joy of diving into something uncommon.

“Things taste better when they’re special and hard to come by,” Jenn says.

Ingredients 

6 oz sea bass filet, skin on 

1 medium heirloom tomato 

1 shallot sliced thin 

1 lemon cucumber 

1 slice of country bread 

1 whole kohlrabi root 

1 summer truffle (optional)

1 tsp chili sumac 

1 cup extra virgin olive oil 

2 Tbsp tarragon vinegar 

Basil leaves 

Mint leaves 

Purple and watermelon shaved radish 

Big Sur Sea Salt

Cracked black pepper 

Preparation 

For the kohlrabi, cut the bulb off and peel cut into uniformed pieces and place it in small pot, cover with olive oil and season with sea salt. Cook on low heat until soft, remove chunks from olive oil and place in a blender with some of the cooking oil until a puree is made (save the remaining olive oil). Season your fish with olive oil and sea salt: Pour enough olive oil on the seabass to coat the entire piece. Sprinkle the sea salt over both sides of the filet. Slice the loaf of country bread about 1-inch thick and season with olive oil and sea salt. Place your fish on medium to high on your grill, cook each side for 2-3 minutes, starting with the skin side down. (Make sure your grill is clean of debris—chef’s note: I like to rub olive oil on grill grates after cleaning.) Place the bread on the lowest heat of your grill, turning until toasted, remove and cut into chunks. Cut tomatoes and cucumbers into large chunks, season with kohlrabi olive oil, vinegar and sea salt, add your shallots, basil, mint and grilled country bread and gently mix. Set aside. Pick your favorite plate and begin by adding puree to the center of the plate using a spoon and circle motion to create a landing spot for the salad. Position the seabass on top of the salad and pour the chili sumac around the plate. Finish with sea salt and cracked pepper. Garnish with shaved radish.