Black Bass With Piperade And Polenta Food

SEARED BLACK BASS WITH BITTER GREENS, GRAPEFRUIT AND FETA SALAD

Steps:

• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Coat the bottom of another smaller saute pan with olive oil. Sprinkle the fish with salt on both sides. When the large saute pan is screaming hot but not quite smoking, lay the fish fillets in the pan, skin-side down. Do not crowd the pan, you may have to work in batches. After you put the fish in the pan, place the other small saute pan directly on top of the fish fillets. This applies gentle pressure to the fish and forces the skin to have contact with the pan and will create crispy skin. Cook the fish for 3 to 4 minutes and then remove the top pan. Shake the pan a little to unstick the fish. Use a fish spatula and flip the fish fillets and cook for 2 more minutes on the other side. Remove from the pan and serve or keep warm until the remaining fish is cooked.
• In a large mixing bowl, dress the greens and red onions with olive oil and grapefruit juice and season with salt. Toss in the olive slivers and grapefruit supremes.
• Divide the salad among 4 serving plates and sprinkle with feta. Lean a fish fillet on each salad. Serve immediately.

BLACK BASS AND GAMBERI CACCIUCCO

Steps:

• For the polenta: Add the milk, cayenne, bay leaf and 1 cup water to a saucepot and heat until just barely a simmer. Stir in the polenta and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and Parmesan. Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with cooking spray and press the polenta in the bottom of the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to set, about 1 hour.
• For the cacciucco: Add the wine, half of the chopped fennel (reserve the fronds for garnish), half of the chopped onions, a pinch of red pepper flakes and some salt to a large stockpot (about 8 quarts). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the wine is reduced by one-half, then fill the pot halfway with water. Squish in the tomatoes with your hands and add them to the pot with their juices. Add the shrimp shells and cod carcass. Season with another pinch of red pepper flakes and some salt. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and reserve this tomato base.
• In a separate saucepot, bring some water to a boil; prepare an ice bath. Blanch the haricot verts in the boiling water, then shock in the ice bath. Reserve.
• In a large high-sided skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining chopped fennel and onions and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and saute for a minute more. Add a ladle of the tomato base to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Add the clams, saffron and fennel pollen, cover and cook. Remove the clams from the skillet as they open and set aside. Add another 2 ladles of the tomato base and the lemon juice to the skillet and keep warm.
• Season the bass fillets with salt. In a nonstick pan, add the remaining tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium heat. Place the fillets in the pan skin-side down. Pan-fry the fish 2 minutes per side and remove to a baking sheet skin-side up. Add the shrimp and haricot verts with a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook until the shrimp are pink.
• Add the clams back to the skillet with the tomato base.
• Remove the polenta from the fridge and flip it out onto a cutting board. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut out rounds and place 1 in the bottom of each of 4 serving bowls. Top each with some haricot verts, a bass fillet, a couple of big shrimp and 2 to 3 clams. Then ladle about 1/2 cup of broth over top. Garnish with fennel fronds and a pinch of fennel pollen.

STEAMED BLACK BASS WITH KOMBU NOODLES AND MUSHROOM DASHI

Steps:

• Place the water, soy and sake in a large saucepot over a medium flame. Add the kombu and simmer until the kombu softens. Add the carrots and daikon, simmer until the carrots and diakon just soften (about 2-1/2 minutes), then remove from the flame. Discard the kombu, and reserve the carrots and daikon. Add the mushrooms and shaved bonito (or dashi flakes) and soak until the liquid comes to room temperature. Remove mushrooms from dashi liquid, thinly slice the mushrooms and set aside.
• Place 1 cup of mushroom dashi in the bottom of a small wok. Set a bamboo rice steamer over the dashi. Bring the dashi to a simmer over a medium flame. Place the bass fillets in the steamer and cover. Steam 6 to 8 minutes or until the bass is just cooked. Meanwhile, place the remaining dashi in a medium saucepot over a medium flame. Add the carrots, daikon, mushrooms, mustard greens, and kombu battera. Bring to a simmer. Divide the broth and vegetables equally into 2 warmed bowls. Arrange the carrots and daikon lattice style to support the bass. Lay the bass over the lattice and sprinkle with fleur de sel.

PIPERADE BASQUAISE

Steps:

• Prepare the piperade by first heating the 4 tablespoons of fat of your choice in a heavy 8-inch frying pan or, better still, in a small oval copper or enamel pan that you can bring to the table. Add the chopped onions and garlic and cook them for about 5 minutes over moderate heat, stirring them frequently until they are soft but not brown. Stir in the pepper strips, turning them in the fat now and then, letting them cook for about 10 minutes, at which point they should be tender but still crisp. Drain the chopped tomatoes thoroughly and add them to the pan, sprinkling in at the same time the dried or fresh basil and the pepper flakes or hot pepper sauce. Raise the heat and cook the tomatoes briskly for a few minutes and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until all their moisture has evaporated. Be careful that the piperade doesn't burn. Put it aside until you are ready to reheat and serve it.
• At that point, combine 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in an 8-inch heavy frying pan, and over moderate heat, cook the julienned ham for a few minutes until the strips are thoroughly heated through. Remove them at once with a slotted spoon and spread them out on paper toweling to drain.
• Meanwhile let the fat in the frying pan cool to lukewarm before pouring it into the eggs, lightly beaten with salt and pepper. Over low heat, stir the eggs with a rubber spatula until they begin to form soft, creamy curds. Remove them from the heat when they are not quite set and gently spread them over the reheated piperade. Let some of the colorful vegetables show through. Lightly scatter the ham on top, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and/or chopped chives, and serve at once.

BLACK BASS WITH WARM ROSEMARY-OLIVE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season fish with salt and pepper and cook, skin side down, until skin is golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Turn fish and add garlic, olives, and rosemary to skillet. Cook, stirring garlic, olives, and rosemary occasionally, until fish is opaque throughout, about 3 minutes.
• Add orange juice to pan and swirl to combine. Divide radicchio and fish among plates and spoon warm vinaigrette over top.