Striped Bass With Tomato And Basil Cream Food

OUTDOOR GRILLED STRIPED BASS WITH VEGETABLE TIAN AND BASIL CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the eggplant into 1/4-inch rounds. Liberally coat the eggplant in herb oil and season with salt and black pepper. Spread the eggplant out in 1 layer in a baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes or until they are fully cooked and soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the sliced onion, fennel, and thyme and allow the mixture to cook while stirring frequently. Once the onions and fennel have wilted, about 5 minutes, add the sugar and continue to cook until all excess liquid has dissolved and the mixture begins to caramelize on the bottom of the pan. This takes about 30 minutes. Add the golden raisins. Deglaze the pan with the Champagne vinegar and mix well. Mix in the toasted pine nuts and remove any stems of the thyme. Let cool.
• Place the roasted eggplant rings on sheet pan spaced equally apart. Top off each ring with the onion and fennel mixture, forming a flat base for the zucchini, yellow squash and tomato slices. Alternate the zucchini, yellow squash and tomato slices around the top of the onion and fennel mixture by layering each piece on top of one another in a circle, tucking under the last piece to form a full, cohesive circle. Top each tian with herb oil, salt and black pepper. Place in the oven to heat for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a pot over medium heat, heat the basil cream and check for seasoning.
• Preheat a grill to high.
• Working with the skin side up, use a sharp knife and cut on the bias, to make an incision in the center of each fillet. The incision should not go all the way through to the other side, but should create a pocket. Stuff each incision with a healthy pinch of the fennel tops. Season each fillet with salt and pepper and coat them with homemade herb oil. Grill over high heat. Each fillet will take approximately 6 to 8 minutes to cook (3 to 4 minutes on each side).
• Using a spatula, carefully place a vegetable tian on each plate. Pour the basil cream around each tian. Place 1 of the striped ref="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/bass/index.html" class="crosslink" debug="2184 2196">bass fillets on each plate. Garnish the plate with the remaining fennel tops.
• Place the rosemary and the olive oil in a blender and cover. Blend on high speed until the roasemary has been ground into small pieces. Add the tarragon and thyme and continue blending until all the herbs have been broken down into small pieces. Pour into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
• In a saucepot, add the white wine and garlic cloves. Over medium heat, allow the wine to reduce by half. Add the cream and salt and bring to a boil. Add the basil to the cream and allow it to cook for 1 minute, making sure it is fully immersed so no browning occurs. In a blender, blend the cream mixture in a medium sized batches on high until the mixture is bright green (about 2 or 3 minutes).
• Immediately pour the cream into a container resting in ice to chill. Stir constantly. Continue this process until all the cream is blended and cooled rapidly.

STRIPED BASS WITH HEIRLOOM TOMATO SCAMPI

Steps:

• To cook the bass:
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a large ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the fish liberally with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the lemon zest and juice. Once the oil begins to shimmer, place the fillets skin-side-down in the pan and let them cook, without moving them, until the skin is crisp and golden brown, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Give a light push to loosen the skin from the pan. Add the thyme sprigs to the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove fish from the oven and transfer to paper towels.
• To make the scampi:
• In a large skillet, heat the garlic oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, shallots, and fennel seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the celery and capers and cook until the celery has softened, about 2 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and cook until it is reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar, lemon zest and juice, tomatoes, and basil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to incorporate the flavors and heat the tomatoes through.
• Serve the bass fillets topped with the tomato scampi.

STRIPED BASS ALL'AMATRICIANA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread olive oil in a baking dish just large enough to hold the fish in a single layer. Season the flesh side of the fish with salt and pepper, and set aside on a plate or cutting board.
• In a heavy saucepan, heat the guanciale on medium low, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the cracklings are golden. Add the onion and cook until onion is soft and barely colored. Stir in garlic and continue cooking until it softens. Add tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer gently about 15 minutes, until tomatoes have come together and reduced a bit. Stir in chile flakes and remove from heat.
• Heat baking dish in the oven and when the oil is hot, remove it from the oven. Place fish, skin side down, in the dish. Spread the tomato mixture on the fish. Return dish to oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the fish just turns opaque and is cooked through. Serve at once or set aside at room temperature to serve in 30 minutes or so. Scatter basil on top just before serving.

STRIPED BASS WITH CHERRY TOMATOES AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the garlic; cook, stirring, until just golden, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes; cook until the skins begin to split, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the olives, capers, and oregano; cook 30 seconds more. Season with salt and pepper.
• Coat both sides of the fish with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a medium roasting pan, skinned side down. Spoon the tomato mixture over the fish. Cook until opaque, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve topped with sauce from the pan.

STRIPED BASS WITH PESTO

Steps:

• To make the pesto, place basil, parsley, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a food processor. Process until finely chopped. With the machine running, slowly pour in the remaining olive oil. Scrape down sides of bowl, add salt, and process until smooth.
• Using a serrated knife, cut four 2-inch slits across each side of the fish. Place the fish in a 14-by-9-by-2-inch oval dish. It is fine for the tail to hang over the edge of the dish. Rub about half of the pesto all over the fish, into the slits and inside the cavity. Reserve the remaining pesto to serve with the fish, or pasta if serving, or keep for another use.
• Cover the dish tightly with microwave plastic wrap, making sure the tail is well covered. Cook at 100 percent power in a high-power oven for 11 minutes. Prick plastic to release steam. Remove from oven and uncover. Serve immediately, spooning the liquid over the fish.