This savoury sea bass recipe comes from our archive of cooking with turrón in Jijona. A little soft almond nougat adds depth to a cream sauce flavoured with Alicante's distinctive Fondillón wine. Suitable for four main courses or adapted into smaller restaurant tapas.
Serves 4 · Prep 10 min · Cooking 20 min
Ingredients
Method
Check the fish for bones, pat dry and season.
Warm Fondillón gently for 1–2 minutes, or omit and use fish stock.
Stir cream and nougat into the wine over low heat.
Thin with stock or thicken with a little dissolved cornflour if necessary.
Cook the sea bass skin-side first, then turn and finish safely.
Serve the fish immediately with a little sauce and lemon.
Kitchen notes
Nougat contains honey and sugar, so do not reduce the sauce aggressively: the sweetness will become concentrated. If the wine is very intense, begin with half the amount. The cream and nougat may be enough to thicken the sauce without cornflour.
Restaurant tapas and portion control
For a tapa, portion the fish into pieces of roughly 50–70 g and use about 15–20 ml sauce per serving. Prepare sauces ahead only under safe storage conditions and reheat in small batches. Do not hold cooked fish for extended periods.
Other fish and variations
Hake or monkfish are alternatives. For a lighter sauce replace some cream with fish stock. Replacing Fondillón with another sweet wine changes the taste and does not make the dish alcohol-free.
Allergens and suitable substitutions
Sea bass contains fish, cream and butter contain milk, and Jijona nougat contains almonds and may include egg or other declared allergens. A wine-free version still requires checking the ingredients of all components.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a hard Alicante turrón bar?
Not as a direct substitute for a smooth sauce. Hard nougat is better finely crushed as a crunchy garnish.
Will the dish taste like dessert?
It should not if the nougat is used sparingly and balanced with seasoning and acidity.
Does the wine cook away completely?
No, short warming cannot guarantee elimination of all alcohol. Omit it for an alcohol-free version.
Discover our professional nougat cream.