Wild Striped Bass En Papillote Food

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!

PAPILLOTE OF STRIPED BASS WITH HERBS AND QUICK AIOLI

Steps:

• Arrange 2 shelves in the oven at a fair distance from each other. The foil-enveloped fish will need some room to puff and expand as it cooks. Better to rearrange the oven racks while the oven is not yet hot. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bake the potato until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Spread about a 2-foot sheet of foil on a flat surface with 1/2 of it hanging off the counter in front of you. Put the fish, skin side down, horizontally, onto the foil near the end of the counter leaving about 1 1/2-inches of foil on both sides. Season the flesh side of the fish with salt and pepper, to taste, and sprinkle with some dill, parsley and a few lemon slices. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons oil on top of the fish. Fold the foil back over the fish and fold in the sides of the foil twice. Leaving some air in the package, roll the top of the foil down twice gathering the top to make a window , leaving about 6 to 8 inches between the fish and the top. It should look like a small package, with all the sides sealed. There should be enough room left around the fish to allow for the steam to build up as it cooks, creating an inflated envelope around the fish. Repeat with remaining 3 pieces of fish.
• Put the garlic cloves in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the garlic is finely chopped. Add the egg yolks and pulse to blend. When the potato is completely cooked and still warm, put it on a flat surface and split it open lengthwise. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the flesh, totaling about 3 to 4 tablespoons, and add it to the processor. Pulse to combine. With the processor running, slowly add the 1/2 cup of olive oil, through the opening at the top, in a steady stream. Add the sugar and the lime juice and pulse to incorporate. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Using 2 baking sheets, put 2 of the foil envelopes on each sheet and add a little water to the bottom of the sheet pan. This water will create additional steam in the oven as the fish cooks. Put the baking sheets on 2 shelves of the oven and bake, undisturbed, until the envelopes begin to puff, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately transfer to 4 dinner plates. To serve, break open the foil and drizzle with the aioli.

SEARED WILD STRIPED BASS ON CHIVE WHIPPED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Season the fillets on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Place a large, non-stick saute pan over very high heat. When hot, add the oil, and swirl to coat bottom of pan. Brush each fillet (skin-side only) generously with butter.
• Place the fish fillets into the hot pan, skin side down, and brown for 2 minutes over high heat. Place the pan in the oven for 3 minutes. Serve warm from the oven, with Chive Whipped Potatoes, Truffle Vinaigrette, and Sauteed Shiitakes.
• Put the potatoes in a saucepot and cover with cold water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Strain the water out of the pot and mash the potatoes with the cream, butter, salt and pepper. Stir in the chive oil and sliced chives, and serve.
• Chive Oil: 1 cup vegetable oil, well chilled 1 bunch fresh chives, sliced into very fine pieces Salt
• In a food processor, blend the oil and chives together. Season to taste with salt. Reserve the remainder in a plastic squeeze bottle, refrigerated.
• Place chicken stock in a saucepan and reduce liquid to 1/2 cup. Place chopped shallots in a large, stainless steel mixing bowl, pour hot stock over them, and steep for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar, season to taste, and slowly add the oils, whisking constantly to emulsify. Set aside until ready to use.
• Yield: 2 1/2 cups
• Sauteed Shiitakes: 1 cup thinly sliced shiitakes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon butter Salt and pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons chopped shallots 2 teaspoons chopped garlic 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1/2 cup haricots verts, blanched 1/4 cup diced and seeded tomato
• Saute the mushrooms in olive oil and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add shallots, garlic, and thyme. Saute until shallots and garlic turn translucent. Add the haricots verts, combine and remove from heat. Stir in the dice tomato and serve.
• To serve: mound hot mashed potatoes in center of plate. Top with 1 wild striped bass fillet, skin side up. Surround with truffle vinaigrette and shiitakes.

WILD STRIPED BASS WITH HEIRLOOM TOMATO VINAIGRETTE AND PROVENCAL OLIVE POTATOES

Steps:

• In medium bowl combine vinegar and salt; whisk until salt is dissolved. Slowly whisk in olive oil, adding more if necessary, until mixture has emulsified. Fold in tomatoes and thyme, season with pepper; set aside
• In small food processor, puree green olives, garlic and oil. Remove and set aside. In medium pan cover potatoes with cold water, bring to a boil. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes until tender, drain well. Transfer to mixer bowl, process using paddle. While mixing, drizzle in oil mixture until smooth. Fold in nicoise olives, season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season with salt and pepper . In large saute pan, heat oil until smoking. Place fillets in pan, flesh side down, sear for 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat, place in oven, roasting fish until almost opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oven. Add butter to pan, turn fillets over, cooking skin side of fish on medium heat for 1 minute. Turn fish over again, remove from pan. Place on paper towel to drain. Place small amount of potatoes on warm serving plate. Place fillet on top, spoon vinaigrette over fish. Garnish with thyme or basil.