Moroccan Style Striped Bass Recipes

WHOLE STRIPED BASS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Trim the fins from the fish, rinse and pat dry. Set aside.
• Rub the bottom of a roasting pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place 1/2 of the parsley, dill, lemon and onion in the center of the roasting pan. Make sure that this mound of aromatics is high enough to prevent the fish from touching the bottom of the pan. Rub the fish inside and out with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season the fish inside and out with the salt and pepper and lay on the bed of aromatics. Place the second half of the aromatics on top of the fish and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before transferring whole to a platter lined with the additional fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

ROASTED STRIPED BASS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a medium saute pan and saute the onion and pancetta over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the tomatoes, saffron, salt, pepper, white wine, and Pernod, if using, and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, lay the fish in a 10-by-14-inch baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and mussels to the dish. Pour the sauce over the seafood and bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, until the fish and shrimp are cooked through and the mussels are open. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

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.

BROWN BUTTER STRIPED BASS WITH LIME AND CILANTRO AIOLI

Steps:

• Set up a grill for cooking with direct and indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only.
• Make the aioli: In a mixing bowl whisk together the mayo, cilantro, garlic, lime zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. (If serving the fish later in the day, let the aioli chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.)
• Pat the fish dry with paper towels, then sprinkle with salt. Brush a cast-iron pan with 1/2 tablespoon butter. Place the fish, skin-side down, in the pan and place the pan on the direct heat side of the grill. Cook until the skin is crisp and has released from the pan, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the fish and add the remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter. Move the pan to the indirect heat side of the grill. Let the butter melt and lightly brown, then baste the fish for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and continue basting for another minute. Close the lid of the grill and cook until the fish is cooked through, about 3 more minutes. Remove from the grill and spoon the remaining brown butter in the pan over the fish. Serve with the aioli, cilantro and lime wedges.

WHOLE ROASTED BASS

Steps:

• Score the flesh of the fish from top to belly to 5 equal incisions from head to tail. Repeat this process on both sides. Season with salt and pepper on both sides and in the cavity. Make sure the seasoning is inside the incisions. Repeat this process with the herb oil. Place the fish on the barbecue and grill for about 15 minutes on each side. Be careful when turning the fish over and removing from the grill. The fish will be more delicate when it is cooked. For maximum flavor brush the fish with herb oil as soon as you remove it from the grill.
• Combine all ingredients. This can be prepared in advance and used for multiple recipes.

STRIPED BASS WITH CAVIAR AND LEMON ZEST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place onions, cut side up, on baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until onions collapse. Remove from oven when done. Wrap individual portions of fish in plastic wrap. Put water in a pan, enough to cover fish, and bring to 160 degrees. Place fish in water and poach until done, about 15 minutes. For caviar sauce, bring 2 tablespoons water to boil in small saucepan. At boil, add butter in small amounts, whisking continuously. Continue to add butter in small portions until all has been added. Whisk until sauce is creamy. Remove from heat. Add lemon zest and caviar, gently fold in, being careful not to break caviar eggs. Place red onion in center of plate. Place unwrapped fish on onion. Spoon caviar butter over top of fish. Garnish with chive points.;

GRILLED STRIPED BASS WITH NONO MOMA MORGRU SAUCE

Steps:

• In bowl mix all ingredients together. Let sit in bowl at room temperature for an hour. Grill one side of fish and then flip fish and then apply sauce on top of fish and let it cook until fish is cooked thoroughly.

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.

MOROCCAN SEA BASS

Steps:

• Use 1/2 tablespoon oil to grease a baking pan large enough to hold fish. Rub 1/2 tablespoon oil over outside of fish. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Finely mince garlic by hand or by dropping it through feed tube of running food processor. Do same with the packed cilantro and mint leaves. Transfer garlic and herbs to a small bowl, and stir in paprika, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Use a sharp knife to cut 3 or 4 slashes about 1/2 inch deep in each side of fish. Spoon a scant teaspoon of herb mixture into each slash. Place fish in baking pan, and stuff cavity with half the cilantro and mint sprigs.
• Put remaining herb mixture and remaining oil in small saucepan.
• Roast fish about 20 minutes, until flesh in the slashes looks opaque. Remove from oven, and let rest 5 minutes. Gently heat herb mixture until warm.
• Transfer fish to a serving platter, remove herbs from cavity and garnish platter with remaining cilantro and mint sprigs. Serve fish, filleting it as you go and spooning herb mixture over each portion.