In Ibiza town on a terrace overlooking the Dalt Vila Sa Cova is serving French Cuisine and a curated wine and aperitif list paying homage to both France and Spain, while offering breathtaking views of the Old Town. In addition to the intimate outdoor terrace, Sa Cova also offers bar service inside one of Ibiza’s caves, a topographical feature that the city is well known for. Both, owner and sommelier Nicolas Blasco and chef Pablo Tarno, worked in various Michelin starred restaurants before they came to Ibiza.
At Sa Cova they try to take the best this island has to offer, combined with specific ingredients from around the world, to create exquisite, French cuisine. Pablos love for French, Mediterranean, as well as Peruvian and Nikkei cuisine is showcased in the menu.
One of the typical dishes at Sa Cova is the delicious sea bream filet with Mallorcan calamari stew. Today the chef reveals us the recipe.
Sea bream Filet with Mallorcan Calamari Stew
Serves 4
- 4 small to medium sized Sea Bream, scaled and gutted
- 1kg Calamari, cleaned and cut into chunks
- 2 large onions (cut in brunoise)
- 2 Spanish spring onions (adjust quantities if buying smaller spring onions)
- 4 garlic cloves
- Tomato (canned or ripe)
- Handful of pine nuts
- Handful of raisins
- Pimentón de la vera
- Pepper
- Salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Glass of white wine
Fillet the sea bream into 8 boneless fillets. Reserve in the fridge until the calamari stew is ready. In a saucepan, lightly sauté the calamari in a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil until soft (about 5 minutes). Reserve. In the same saucepan, add the chopped onion and sauté them for about 10 minutes until soft, tender and a little caramelised. Add the chopped garlic and let simmer for another 3 mintues. Follow up by adding the chopped spring onion and repeat the same process as with the onion. Whenever the mixture gets too dry, you can adjust by adding a dash of olive oil, or a little water if preferred. Now add your tomato and your white wine and let it cook on a low heat until the wine has evaporated. Add the pine nuts and raisins and let it simmer on gentle heat for another 15-20 minutes. The longer you leave, it the better your “sofrito” will be. Finally, add your reserved calamari and cook until the calamari are soft and tender, but not soggy. Add salt, pepper and pimentón to taste.
Once your calamari are cooked, you can prepare the fish. Salt your fillets of sea bream on both sides and sear them skin-side first on high heat in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil. Depending on the size of your sea bream fillets, this can range anywhere between 1 and 3 minutes. It is very important not overcooking your fish. The high heat will ensure the skin is crisp and delicious. Once finished with the skin side, carefully turn the fillet over with the help of a spatula, turn off the heat, and let rest for approx. 1 minute. Use this time to add the calamari stew on 4 shallow dishes and serving the fillets of sea bream skin-side up. Add a little olive oil to taste and finish off with any greens or fresh herbs that you might have in your kitchen.
