Strawberry Balsamic Salsa with Grilled Sea Bass

Last night Connor and I cooked together for Mother’s Day, which was a glorious mother’s day present in and of itself. We planned a very simple meal of grilled sea bass, creamy polenta, and grilled asparagus. It really resonated with me that simple is something I don’t do often enough, where the fresh and fabulous flavors of the ingredients shine. Easy clean up, too. 

The gorgeous, sustainable sea bass was from Whole Foods, and we had strawberries that needed to be used. I have fallen in love with macerated strawberries and balsamic vinegar this spring, so we made a balsamic strawberry salsa to serve with the fish. Strawberries and balsamic together are sophisticated and an Italian classic. It may sound strange, but they pair beautifully. The balsamic brings out the sweetness of the berries yet adds a tart bite. Be sure to use your very best aged balsamic. One that I love is from the Mountain Town Olive Oil Company in Park City, Utah, a traditional 18 year Modena balsamic. The other salsa ingredients add a touch of heat and crunch. WOWOWOWOW. After preparing and tasting it, we immediately made another batch because we knew it would not be enough. The salsa and soft goat cheese would also make an easy bruschetta.

A perfect meal for a lovely spring day.

Strawberry Balsamic Salsa with Grilled Sea Bass

1 small lime, zested
1/4 C finely chopped seeded jalapeno
2 T finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 T fresh lime juice

1 T aged balsamic vinegar
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t cumin

1/2 t kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 C finely chopped strawberries

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime zest, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, and spices. Add the strawberries and combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the sea bass, we combined 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and thinly sliced two cloves of garlic in a pie pan and added the fish to coat and marinated in the refrigerator for about an hour. Just before grilling it, we sprinkled with salt and pepper and Connor grilled it to perfection, and 3 minutes per side.