Pan Roasted Black Sea Bass With Cauliflower Almond Sauce With White Truffle Butter Food

WHOLE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH ALMOND-HERB SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oven while you prepare the cauliflower: Place a heavy oven-proof skillet (a cast-iron skillet looks very nice) or a baking sheet in the oven and turn the heat to 375 degrees. Place a small pan of hot water on the floor of the oven, to create steam.
• Break off and discard the outer leaves from the cauliflower. Cut off the bottom of the stem, and then use the tip of a small, sharp knife to cut off the leaves close to the stem. Carefully cut out the hard core of the cauliflower, near the bottom. Leave the main stem intact and make sure not to cut through any of the florets.
• Rinse the cauliflower (leave the water clinging to the outside) and place on a work surface, core side up. Drizzle with olive oil and use your hands to rub over the cauliflower until evenly coated. Sprinkle with salt.
• Place the cauliflower on the hot pan in the oven, core side down, and cook until very tender all the way through when pierced with a knife, at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours. During the cooking, baste 2 or 3 times with more olive oil. It should brown nicely. If you have a convection feature, use it toward the end of baking to brown the crust.
• Make the sauce: In a small frying pan, toast nuts over low heat, shaking often, just until golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
• Soak anchovies, if using, for 5 minutes in cool water. Rinse and set aside on paper towels.
• In a food processor, combine almonds, anchovies, garlic and butter and pulse until smooth. Mix in oil, then vinegar. Mix in herbs and red pepper flakes, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• When cauliflower is tender, remove from the oven. (If desired, run it briefly under the broiler first to brown the surface; there is no need to do this if you used convection.)
• Serve cauliflower in the skillet or from a serving plate. Cut into wedges and spoon sauce around each wedge.

PAN ROASTED BLACK SEA BASS WITH CAULIFLOWER-ALMOND SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Season bass on both sides with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Sear the fish, skin down, until golden brown. Turn over and place the pan in the oven and cook for 4 to 5 minutes for medium doneness.
• Ladle Cauliflower Sauce into the bottom of 2 shallow wide bowls. Place a bass fillet on top of the sauce, then ladle more of the sauce over. Sprinkle with chives.
• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes (do not let onions, garlic, or cauliflower obtain any color). Add wine and cook until reduced by half. Add fish stock and just enough water to cover the cauliflower and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the cauliflower is completely cooked through and soft.
• Transfer the mixture to a food processor add almonds, and process until smooth. Strain the mixture into a medium saucepan and place on the stove over medium heat. Whisk in the cream and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the butter and cook until melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

PAN ROASTED FILET MIGNON WITH ASPARAGUS SEA BASS WITH ROASTED CAULIFLOWER PUREE

Steps:

• In a small pot, over medium-low heat, add the vinegar and brown sugar, and whisk to combine. Cook and reduce until thick, about the consistency of maple syrup. Whisk in 2 tablespoons butter and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve drizzled over filet mignon and asparagus.
• For Filet and Asparagus:
• Slice the bottom 1 1/2 inches off the asparagus. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the asparagus and blanch for 1 minute. Remove from the water and shock in an ice bath. Transfer the asparagus from the ice bath to a sheet pan lined with a paper towel.
• Take the filets out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before they are to be cooked so they can come to temperature.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Heat canola oil in a large heavy bottomed skilled over high heat. Season each filet liberally with salt and pepper. Sear the filets in the skillet until brown and crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Turn the heat to low and add the 4 tablespoons of butter, the garlic and fresh thyme. Using a spoon, baste the filets with the melted butter. Put the pan in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare or until the internal temperature reaches 130 to 135 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
• Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and saute until heated through, about 2 minutes. Asparagus should be slightly tender but still have a little snap when you bite into them.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• To a large baking dish add the cauliflower, apple, and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to coat. Roast in oven until brown on top, about 25 minutes, then add the vegetable stock and roast until tender, another 20 minutes.
• Add the roasted cauliflower, apple and stock to a food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to a metal bowl and put over a pot of simmering water to keep warm.
• Turn oven down to 325 degrees F.
• Heat some canola oil in a large heavy bottomed skilled over high heat. Season each fillet liberally with salt and pepper. Sear the fillets, skin side down, until brown and crispy, turn over and crisp the other side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Turn off the heat, add butter and, using a spoon, baste the fillets with the melted butter. Transfer to the oven to finish cooking, about 4 minutes.
• Beurre Blanc Sauce:
• Slice the green leaves off the leek and discard. Slice the stem into 1/4-inch thick rings. Put them into a large bowl filled with cold water and let soak for 5 minutes. Remove the leaks and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine and add the vegetable stock. Reduce by half and then whisk in the cold butter. Serve over sea bass.
• To Plate:
• Using a rectangular plate lay a bed of 3 to 4 asparagus down on 1 side of the plate. Arrange a piece of filet mignon on top and drizzle with the balsamic reduction. On the other side of the plate put about a 1/4 cup of the cauliflower puree, top with a piece of sea bass and drizzle with the leek sauce. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make a total of 6 servings.

PAN ROASTED MEDITERANEAN SEA BASS

Steps:

• In a medium hot pan saute the onions with the capers in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cover and turn heat down to medium heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Add the thyme about 10 minutes into the cooking of the onions. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Stir in the quartered tomatoes and let simmer for 10 minutes more. Slice the zucchini into thin discs. In a hot saute pan heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the zucchini in the oil. Add salt and pepper as needed. In a medium hot saute pan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute the fish gently, crisping the skin, Turn the fish over and let the temperature of the pan finish the cooking of the fish. To assemble the dish, lay the zucchini around in a small pile on the bottom of the plate, place the fish on top of that. On top of the fish place a small amount of the tomato and onion sauce. Garnish with olive oil and fresh chives.

SAUTEED BLACK SEA BASS WITH CAPERS AND HERB-BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Pat fillets dry; slash skin side of each crosswise in 2-inch intervals. Season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour to evenly coat, shaking off excess.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. When oil shimmers and wisps of smoke rise from skillet, add fish in a single layer, skin-sides down. Reduce heat to medium; cook, undisturbed,until skin is crisp and flesh is opaque halfway up sides and almost cooked through, 5 to 7minutes, depending on thickness.
• Flip and continue cooking until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to plates, skin-sides up. Add vermouth to skillet; boil until mostly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add capers and butter; cook until butter simmers and sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in herbs. Return fish to skillet, skin-side up; spoon butter sauce over top. Serve immediately.

PAN ROASTED WHITE BASS (SAND BASS) WITH WINE BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Wash fish and pat dry.
• Spread flour on a plate.
• Salt the fish and then dredge in flour, coating entirely. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.
• Heat olive oil over high heat in a sauté pan large enough to hold both fish without crowding.
• When the oil is very hot but not yet smoking, add garlic and toss the garlic around for a minute.
• Place fish in the pan and brown 1-1/2 minutes on each side.
• Lower heat to medium, cover and roast for about 10 minutes, turning the fish once.
• Remove to a warmed side plate.
• (Note that the 10 minute cooking time is for fish about 1" thick at its thickest part. For thinner or thicker fish adjust the time accordingly.)
• Add wine, raise heat to high and quickly reduce to a syrupy consistency, scraping all around the pan to loosen browned bits clinging to the pot.
• Add the butter and swirl to melt and blend.
• Correct seasoning and pour sauce over fish.
• Garnish with additional oregano and lemon slices.