Nothing Says Romantic Dinner More Than Chilean Seabass With Mint, Caper, Olive Relish

Creating an ideal date night at home means choosing recipes that require minimum preparation yet yield maximum flavor.

"Whip up something simple, delicious, and attractive," chef Geoffrey Zakarian recommends. "Because you want to sit down and enjoy your partner, not spend the entire night cooking!"

Enter Zakarian's recipe for Chilean Seabass with Mint, Caper, and Olive Relish. Its preparation, method, appearance, and flavors capture an easy-breezy date-night vibe. The relish is a bold-flavored condiment made with fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley (“It's more mild than the curly-leafed kind."), fresh mint, zingy citrus, earthy olives, and the pickle punch of capers. It accompanies twogorgeous, rich filletsof butter-basted wild-caught Chilean seabass that take less than 10 minutes to cook.

To make the Chilean seabass, Zakarian infuses browned butter with fresh rosemary and thyme using a French cooking method calledarroser("to baste"). When cooked indoors, the fish naturally gives off its ocean water, releasing its natural smell that can be off-putting to some, Zakarian explains. "But," he continues, "if you cook with herb butter, [gently basting the fish while it cooks, undisturbed in the skillet], the whole house beautifully smells herbaceous — it's the secret to preparing fish indoors."

Plus, the texture of the fillets will be moist and silky because they are basted over low heat. "The fish will have this incredible essence of butter and herb, but it won't have a big crust on it."

Since this fish is so luxurious and the relish so flavorful, Zakarian recommends simple side dishes, if any, so the protein and condiment do not get upstaged. "You can make a vegetable side, or steamed red bliss potatoes if you'd like," he suggests.

But the final touch to your date night meal should be wine. And Zakarian, a proud oenophile, recommends "a beautiful, cold Harry & DavidChardonnaythat you've kept at 48 degrees in the refrigerator, and then put on ice." Or open it sooner. "It's nice to have a glass of wine while cooking!" he says.

Grown in Southern Oregon, the 2020 vintage has notes of melon and honeysuckle, with underlying butter and oak. This medium-bodied white wine is the perfect weight for a meatier fillet, such as Chilean seabass, and has just the right touch of sweet fruit to contrast the softer herbs of mint and parsley in the relish.

"This dish is a great way to show someone you care because you're cooking with love — but it's also very good for you."