Steven Redzikowski’s Recipe for Roasted Sea Bream With Jalapeño Vinaigrette

Steven Redzikowski’s Recipe for Roasted Sea Bream With Jalapeño Vinaigrette

Colorado chef Steven Redzikowski brings his signature easygoing style to this recipe for whole, succulent fish with radish-ginger slaw and a bright, spicy vinaigrette

By Kitty Greenwald in the Wall Street Journal

THOUGH HE CAME UP in four-star kitchens, Steven Redzikowski knows how to please a crowd. Today, as the chef and owner of two Colorado restaurants, he favors accessible, deeply crave-able dishes, often served family style. “Where I used to work it looked like Jesus plated the food,” Mr. Redzikowski said. “Now I think, ‘Is there something someone won’t be intimidated by but that tastes just as good?’ ”

Mr. Redzikowski had home cooks in mind when he created this recipe, his first Slow Food Fast contribution, for roasted sea bream dressed with jalapeño vinaigrette and a flurry of radish-ginger-scallion slaw. “When I cook at someone’s house, I like to make things easy,” Mr. Redzikowski said. “But, I also like to make them think, ‘That came out of my kitchen? That’s crazy!’ ”

Roasting fish with bones in and head on yields reliably succulent results. The vinaigrette calls for nothing more than blending jalapeños, herbs and garlic into an emerald sauce. And the zingy slaw requires just a little chopping and tossing. For those who get squeamish around food with a face, Mr. Redzikowski fillets the fish before serving. But you can also just put everything out, allow your guests assemble their own plates and let the impressive presentation belie the utter simplicity of the preparation.

---

Roasted Sea Bream With Jalapeño Vinaigrette

Total Time: 25 minutes Serves: 4

• 2 sea breams (1½-2 pounds each), scaled and gutted
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lime, thinly sliced, plus wedges for squeezing
• ½ cup plus a tablespoon olive oil
• 3 jalapeños, stemmed
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 1½ packed cups cilantro leaves plus 4 cilantro sprigs
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
• ⅓ cup rice vinegar
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and julienned
• 3 breakfast radishes (ordinary radishes may be substituted), trimmed and thinly sliced
• 6 mint leaves, roughly torn
• 6 leaves basil, roughly torn

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place rack in center position. Season fish all over and inside cavities with salt and pepper. Stuff fish cavities with lime slices, then rub exteriors with ½ tablespoon olive oil each. Place fish in a heavy roasting dish and roast until eyes are opaque and flesh flakes off the bone, about 20 minutes.