Poached Wild Striped Bass Recipes

POACHED WILD STRIPED BASS, CAULIFLOWER PUREE CALDIN, CURRY

Steps:

• Put the garlic and coconut in a blender and blend to make a paste, adding a little water if necessary. Transfer the paste to a small bowl and stir in the cumin, turmeric, and pepper.
• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they're softened but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic-coconut paste and cook, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the fish stock and chile and simmer the sauce for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Season the bass fillets with sea salt and let stand for 5 minutes. Bring the fish stock sauce up to a boil and add the coconut milk. Bring up to a boil once again. Add the bass to the sauce and bake in the middle of the oven until the fish is just cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• To serve, plate the fish on some sauce and spoon the cauliflower puree around it.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook until they're fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the shallots, ginger, and garlic and cook until softened but not browned. Add the tomatoes and saute until soft. Add the cauliflower, turmeric, and chile, and saute until just slightly golden. Add just enough vegetable stock to cover by 1/4-inch. Bring to a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree.

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.

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.

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.

OVEN POACHED STUFFED STRIPED BASS

Steps:

• Combine all stuffing ingredients and correct seasoning. The stuffing must taste delicious by itself. This stuffing should be made at time of final preparation or the bread stuffing will have a heavier consistency than desired.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Keep fumet hot in a pot on the stove.
• Check the entire fish for scales or bones. This is done by running your fingers over all surfaces of the fish. Remove any bones with a pair of needle-nosed pliers.
• Place fish on a lightly oiled sheet of aluminum foil in large pan. Salt with kosher salt inside and out.
• Since there are crevices within the fish, use your hands to place the salt throughout. Pepper the inside and outside of the fish. Lightly place a coat of olive oil on outside of fish. Stuff fish with bread mixture. If the mixture does not adequately remain in the fish cavity, gently tie the fish around with butchers twine every few inches. Place fish in oven and pour 3 cups of the hot fumet over fish. Cover and cook for about 80 to 90 minutes, basting with hot fumet every 15 minutes.
• To check for doneness use a fork in the thickest part of the flesh and determine that the meat is opaque, signifying doneness. The fish will have an internal temperature of 130 degrees when it is done.
• Remove fish from the pan with foil. Gently peel back foil and place fish on a platter. Slice and serve.
• Simmer first 9 ingredients for 25 to 30 minutes. Add fish parts. Simmer for 1 hour, covered. Salt and pepper, to taste.
• Strain through chinois. Strain again, using cheesecloth. Place liquid in tightly covered container and refrigerate until needed.

STRIPED BASS POACHED IN SPICY SOY SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the soy sauce, water, sugar, scallions, chile (if using) and 1/2 to 2/3 cup water in a skillet just large enough to hold the fish. Turn the heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.
• Add the fish, and adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles but not furiously. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or twice, until the fish is coated with a brown glaze and cooked through. Serve with white rice, spooning the sauce over all and garnishing with the scallions.

POACHED WILD STRIPED BASS

Steps:

• In a fish poacher or a deep roasting pan, combine the wine, 4 quarts water, thyme, fennel, carrots, onion, garlic, peppercorns, salt and lemon. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Turn off heat, and let cool to room temperature.
• Measure fish at its thickest point. If using a roasting pan, wrap fish in cheesecloth and tie ends with string; the ends of the cheesecloth serve as handles for removing the fish later. Lay the fish in the cooled liquid. If liquid does not cover it, add water. Bring to a simmer. When bubbles begin appearing on the surface, begin timing at 7 minutes per inch of thickness.
• When time is up, turn off heat and let cooking liquid cool to the touch. Carefully transfer fish to a serving platter. Reserve a cup of poaching liquid to make a sauce. Using a small knife, peel away the skin and excess fat from the head to the tail. Brush fish with olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature, passing a bowl of sauce.