Wild Striped Bass Montauk Style 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!

ROASTED WILD STRIPED BASS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove stalks from fennel bulbs; reserve bulbs for another use. Remove feathery fronds from stalks; and reserve for garnish. Using a sharp knife, halve stalks lengthwise. Arrange stalks in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch roasting pan; pour wine over stalks. Lay fish fillets on top; drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake until fish is just cooked through and opaque throughout, 20 to 25 minutes. Divide fish among serving plates, discarding fennel stalks. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds.

ROASTED WILD STRIPED BASS RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat your over to 425° F.
• If your fishmonger did not thoroughly clean the fish cavity, I recommend you give it a good cleaning, making sure to remove any blood that may be present. Of course, you will want to scale the fish too if that wasn't done.
• Combine the juice from half of the lemon with the pumpkin seed oil and rub all over the fish inside and out.
• Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and place three of the tarragon sprigs inside the bass cavity.
• In a roasting pan big enough to hold the fish, line the bottom of the pan with the sliced eggplant. Then, add the sliced shallots. Add the wine to the pan, and then the wild striped bass.
• Place the olives and lemon slices on top of the fish.
• Sprinkle with the minced tarragon, and roast in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes until the fish reaches an internal temperature of approximately 135° F. - 140° F. The flesh should be opaque and flake easily.

ANDREW ENGLE'S MONTAUK WILD STRIPED BASS WITH TOMATOES AND ROASTED CORN

Steps:

• 1. Cut tomatoes into different shapes (thin wedges, halves, dice); place in a bowl. Combine with the onion, half of the parsley, corn, basil, lemon zest, juice, pepper, and 4 tablespoons oil. Set side.
• 2. Rub butter on the skin side of the fish; season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook fish, skin-side down, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Turn carefully; cook 3 to 4 minutes more.
• 3. Spoon tomato mixture onto 4 plates; top with a fillet. Drizzle with lemon juice; garnish with remaining parsley and serve.