Braised Black Sea Bass With Spring Vegetables And Lemon Black Olive Bouillon Recipes

BASS ROSACE, STEAMED IN LEMON GRASS, SERVED WITH CAVIAR AND LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• To prepare the fish: Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and arrange the sliced bass in a single layer. In a small sauce pot, bring 1/4 pound unsalted butter and vermouth to a high simmer, melting butter. Remove from heat. When slightly cooled, brush both sides of fish with butter glaze.
• To form the rosace: Take one strip of bass and wrap tightly around your index finger. Remove your finger and tightly wrap another strip around centerpiece. Repeat procedure until you have formed a rose (approximately 7 strips per rose). When rose is shaped, fan out top of rose by bending top part of the fish backwards to give it a petal shape.
• To prepare steamer: Fill the bottom half of steamer with lemon grass, onion, celery, carrot, 2 sprigs of thyme, bay leaf, half of the peppercorns and half bottle of champagne
• To prepare the lemon sauce: In a medium rondeau, sweat shallots with olive oil over medium heat. When translucent, add lemon peels, juice of lemon, garlic, remaining thyme, and peppercorns. Deglaze with remaining champagne and reduce until dry. Add heavy cream and reduce. Remove from heat and whisk in cubed butter one at a time. Season with salt and pepper. Strain through a chinois or fine mesh cap. Reserve and keep warm.
• To prepare zucchini: Cut into 4 1/4-inch segments. Quarter each segment and `tournee into leaf shapes. Blanch into boiling salted water. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat and shock in ice bath for 1 to 2 minutes. Reserve.
• To plate: Bring liquid in steamer unit to boil. Arrange rosace in the top part of the steamer unit and cover. Steam for 7 to 9 minutes until fish is cooked and moist. In a small saute pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter with chicken stock to form a glaze. Add zucchini and warm through. When bass is cooked, remove from steamer and dry the base of the rose. Place on the left side of the plate. To the right, arrange the zucchini petals into a leaf shape. Place 2 to 3 pepper strips at the base of the zucchini petals to form the stem. In a small bowl, combine caviar with a small amount of lemon sauce. Spoon sauce around the base of the rose. Top off with lemon segments and chervil. Serve immediately.

SEA BASS POACHED IN A COURT BOUILLON WITH SAUTEED BATONNET OF CARROTS AND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Place a 12-inch saute pan on the stove, add the shallots, garlic and court bouillon to the pan. Set over a high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Season the sea bass fillets on both sides with the salt and white pepper. Place the fillets in the poaching liquid and cover with a lid, or a buttered round of parchment paper. Cook the fish for 5 to 6 minutes, or until cooked through.
• Remove the fillets from the poaching liquid using a slotted metal spatula and place on a warm plate loosely covered with aluminum foil. Put the plate in a warm place while you make the sauce. Raise the heat to high and reduce the court bouillon for about 10 minutes, or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Lower the heat, and add the butter to the pan a little at a time. Use a whisk to stir the cold butter into the sauce and season with salt and white pepper. Sprinkle the tarragon and chervil into the sauce and return the fish to the pan. Place the pan over a medium-low heat and warm the fish through, about 1 minute.
• In a 10-inch saute pan, set over a medium-heat, add the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of butter to the pan. Once the butter has melted, add the carrots to the pan and saute, stirring often for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the zucchini and 2 tablespoons of water to the pan and continue to cook for 2 minutes more. Season the vegetables with salt and white pepper and divide among 4 warmed entree plates. Place a sea bass fillet over the vegetables and divide the sauce among the 4 plates as well. Garnish with chervil.
• Combine all the ingredients into a 4-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 45 minutes. Strain the bouillon and use immediately, or cool and refrigerate for later use. The bouillon may also be frozen and kept for several months.

BLACK SEA BASS CRUSTED WITH SPICES, TOMATO, AND VEGETABLE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• For the vinaigrette: Saute sliced mushrooms in butter until caramelized. Add honey, soy, lemon juice, and vinegar. Add water and simmer slowly for 30 minutes. Strain, pressing out all juice.
• Make brown butter with salted butter. Place pan in ice water to stop cooking. Whisk into mushroom broth.
• Cook fingerling potato, peel and cut into thirds. Set aside.
• Cut fish with skin into 3 pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Dip in cream, then spice mixture, then flour. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan and saute until crisp.
• Heat vinaigrette with potatoes, fava beans, and onions. Add tomatoes and herbs last. Pour into bowl and add fish.
• Toast hazelnuts, almonds, coriander, sesame seeds, and peppercorns in a hot pan and grind.

BLACK SEA BASS IN SPRING VEGETABLE BROTH

Steps:

• Make the aioli: Mince the garlic, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and mash with the flat side of a chef's knife to make a paste. Transfer to a medium bowl; add the mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice and egg yolk and whisk to combine. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, then the vegetable oil, whisking constantly until smooth; whisk in 1 teaspoon water to loosen. Cover and refrigerate the aioli until ready to use.
• Make the broth: Trim the spring onions to about 6 inches; transfer the tops to a large saucepan (set the bulbs aside). Trim the fennel and thinly slice; transfer 1 cup fennel fronds to the saucepan (set the sliced fennel aside). Add the celery, carrot, parsley sprigs, bay leaf, peppercorns and 8 cups water to the saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to medium and cook, 15 minutes.
• Remove the fava beans from their pods. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the fava beans and cook 1 minute; drain and rinse under cold water. Slip off the skins; set the beans aside.
• Strain the vegetable broth into a wide pot. Add the potatoes and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the reserved spring onion bulbs and the tomatoes to the broth; simmer 5 minutes.
• Make the fish: Score each fish fillet crosswise 3 or 4 times on the skin side (do not cut through to the flesh). Season the flesh side with salt. Add the fish to the pot; add the fava beans and reserved sliced fennel, cover and cook until the fish is just opaque, about 6 minutes.
• Divide the potatoes among shallow bowls; top each with a fish fillet, then divide the broth and vegetables among the bowls. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and top each with a spoonful of aioli. Serve with bread and the remaining aioli.