Seared Crispy Skin Black Bass Food

CRISPY SKIN BLACK SEA BASS WITH AVOCADO, TOMATILLO AND FENNEL RELISH

Steps:

• For the relish: Combine the tomatillo, avocado, serrano, fennel and onions in a medium bowl. Drizzle with the canola oil, lime juice, vinegar and honey. Season with salt and pepper, and fold in the cilantro.
• For the crispy skin fish: Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Add some canola oil and heat until hot and smoking.
• Meanwhile, sprinkle the fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Lay the fish in the hot pan, skin-side down, pressing down with your fish spatula. Add the butter to the pan and let melt. When the edges of the fish look golden brown and crispy, after 3 minutes, flip the fish. Reduce the heat and cook another 2 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the crispy skin with some of the butter.
• Remove the fish to a plate. Serve with the relish. Finish with some extra-virgin olive oil.

LEMON AND THYME SEARED BLACK BASS

Steps:

• Season the fish with salt and pepper.
• In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the oil. Put the fish, skin side down, into the pan.
• Press firmly with a spatula to prevent the skin from curling. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes, then flip. Add the thyme sprigs, the butter and the lemon juice. Cook for an additional 4 minutes. Baste the fish for 30 seconds. Remove the fish from pan and arrange on a platter to serve.
• Cook's Note: Score the skin side of the fish, to prevent it from curling during the cooking.

SEARED BLACK SEA BASS WITH BITTER GREENS, FENNEL, 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 to 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, fennel and red onions with olive oil and the grapefruit juice. Season with salt. Toss in the olive slivers and grapefruit supremes.
• Divide the salad between 2 serving plates and sprinkle with the feta. Lean a fish fillet on each salad. Serve immediately.

BRAISED BLACK SEA BASS WITH SPRING VEGETABLES AND LEMON-BLACK OLIVE BOUILLON

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes, peel and cut in wedges. Cut off both ends of zucchini and yellow squash, cut lengthwise in 4 equal parts. Remove most of the seeds by cutting the angle. Slice into 1/4-inch pieces. Blanch quickly in water and salt. Trim the fennel, cut in 2 lengthwise, sweat in olive oil, add lemon juice and fumet. Season with salt and pepper and braise for 5 minutes, covered. Add cherry tomatoes. Keep very al dente.
• Brush a braising pan with butter. Place in it everything except half of the lemon juice and garnishes. Season the fish on both sides and add the fumet. Place the braising pan on a low flame until the liquid slightly simmers. Then place in a preheated 300-degree oven for 7 minutes. When cooked, place the fish with most of the vegetables into bowl, return the braising pan to the flame and finish with black olives lemon olive oil and lemon juice if necessary. Finish the dish by pouring the broth on the fish and garnish with chopped chives and chervil, serve immediately.

SEARED WILD STRIPED BASS WITH SAUTEED SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water and salt it well. Place the asparagus in the boiling water and cook until the water comes back to a rolling boil. Remove and place it immediately in the salted ice water. When the asparagus has cooled completely, remove it from the water and reserve. Repeat this process with the sugar snap peas and then the fava beans. You can use the same blanching water for all of the veggies, just be sure to always do the fava beans last. Fava beans have very high iron content and will turn the blanching water black. After the beans are blanched and cooled, remove the tough outer skin to reveal a lovely spring green fava bean.;
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil. Smash the three garlic cloves with the heel of your hand and add to the saute pan. Bring the pan to a medium high heat. When the garlic has become golden brown and very aromatic remove it from the pan and discard it. It has fulfilled its garlic destiny. Add the mushrooms and stock, season generously with salt, and saute for 1 minute. Add the prepared veggies, season with salt and saute until all the ingredients are coated with oil and hot and almost all the stock has evaporated. Serve immediately or later at room temperature.;
• Take the fish out of the refrigerator about 10 to 15 minutes before using. Pat the skin dry with a paper towel and season the fish on both sides with salt. Heat a large saute pan coated generously with extra virgin olive oil over high heat. Coat the bottom of another slightly smaller saute pan with olive oil. Gently place the fish fillets skin side down in the saute pan and place the other saute pan directly on top of the fish. The purpose of this is to gently press the skin of the bass onto the bottom of the saute pan to create a lovely crispy fish skin. Be sure to oil the bottom of the top saute pan or the fish will stick to it. After a couple of minutes remove the top saute pan from the fish, this will allow the steam to escape and the skin to become very crispy. As fish cooks it turns from translucent to opaque. The idea is to cook the fish 2/3's of the way on the skin side and flip it over for the last 1/3 of the cooking time. The rule for fish is about 7 to 8 minutes per inch of thickness, a little less if you like your fish more on the rare side.
• Serve the fish over the sauteed spring veggies and call your self a superstar!

BLACK SEA BASS WITH CORN AND JUMBO LUMP CRAB SAUTE

Steps:

• Score the skin side of the sea bass fillet (make a few small slit marks in the skin with a sharp knife). Season the fish with salt and pepper.
• Preheat a medium saute pan over high heat and add 2 ounces of olive oil. When the oil is smoking, add the fish, skin side down. Reduce heat to medium and press fillet with a spatula to crisp the skin. When the skin is browned, flip fish. (The total cooking time for the fish should be 5 minutes). Remove from pan and keep warm.
• Add the remaining 2 ounces olive oil to the saute pan. Add the corn, onion, red pepper, and poblano pepper and saute for 1 minute. Add the crabmeat, chives, and chopped thyme, stirring to blend. Adjust seasoning to taste. Add the chicken stock and whisk in the butter to form a sauce. Reduce until sauce consistency.
• Arrange the sauteed vegetable mixture in a large serving bowl. Top with the warm bass fillet and roasted fingerling potatoes. Garnish with a sprig of thyme.

SAUTEED BLACK SEA BASS WITH PORT BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Heat olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, sear fish skin side down. Saute for a couple of minutes, add some whole butter to pan and place in 500 degrees oven to finish, don't turn fish onto flesh side. This process should take 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Make sure the pan is oven proof, if not transfer fish to a baking sheet. For the asparagus, break them near the bottom at the natural breaking point. Add to heavily salted boiling water and cook until tender, drain and finish in a saute pan with whole butter. For the beurre blanc, place the shallots and white wine in saucepan and sweat the shallots. Add the butter a little at a time whisking constantly. When all of the butter is incorporated, whisk in the heavy cream. Finish with sweet port. Place the black bass in the middle of the plate, mound the asparagus on top of the fish, nap with beurre blanc, and garnish with chervil and 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-FRIED STRIPED BASS WITH LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• For the sauce, whisk together: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, Salt, Fresh-ground black pepper.
• Taste for salt and lemon juice and adjust as desired. The sauce will separate as it sits; this is not a problem.
• Season: 4 pieces striped bass, skin on (4 to 6 ounces each) with: Salt, Fresh-ground black pepper.
• Choose a heavy-bottomed pan for frying the fish. Take another, slightly smaller pan that will fit into the pan for the fish, and wrap its bottom with foil. This pan will be used as a weight to hold the fish flat against the frying pan to ensure that all of the skin will cook and crisp. (You will see the fish contract when it goes into the hot pan, as the skin shrinks on contact with the heat.) Warm the larger pan over medium-high heat. When hot, pour in: Olive oil, enough to generously coat the bottom.
• Add the pieces of bass, skin side down, and place the foil-wrapped pan on top of the fish. Cook until the skin is brown and crispy, about 7 minutes. Check now and then to see that the fish is indeed browning, but not overbrowning. Adjust the heat up or down to speed up or slow down the cooking as needed. When the skin is browned, remove the top pan and turn the fish. Cook for another minute or so, until the fish is just cooked through, but is still moist and tender inside. Meanwhile whisk the lemon sauce together again and pour it onto a warm plate. Serve the fish skin side up, on top of the sauce.
• Garnish the fish with a couple spoonfuls of chopped tender herbs such as parsley, chives, chervil, cilantro, or basil.
• Soak, rinse, and squeeze dry a tablespoon or so of capers. When the fish is cooked add the capers to the hot pan and sauté for a minute or two. Remove with a slotted spoon and scatter over the fish.
• Make a Beurre Blanc (Warm Butter Sauce; page 228) instead of the olive oil sauce.