Seared Black Bass With Scallion Chile Relish Recipes

WHOLE BLACK BASS WITH GINGER AND SCALLIONS

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Put baking dish in roasting pan.
• Rinse fish and pat dry, then rub inside and out with salt. Transfer to baking dish and sprinkle with scallion strips (white and pale green) and ginger.
• Stir together soy sauce and sugar until sugar is dissolved, then pour over fish. Add enough boiling-hot water to roasting pan to reach halfway up side of baking dish. Oil a large sheet of heavy-duty foil, then tent foil (oiled side down) over fish and tightly seal around roasting pan. Carefully transfer roasting pan to oven and bake until fish is just cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes.
• While fish bakes, cut enough scallion greens diagonally into very thin slices to measure 1/2 cup (reserve remainder for another use).
• Just before serving, remove foil from fish and sprinkle with scallion greens. Heat wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes instantly. Pour oil around side of wok, then tilt wok to swirl oil, coating side, and heat until smoking. Remove from heat and immediately pour oil over scallion greens and fish.

BLACK BASS POACHED WITH GINGER AND SCALLIONS

Steps:

• Place the wine, vinegar, coarsely chopped vegetables, coriander and fennel seeds, peppercorns and bay leaf in a saucepan. Add water, bring to a boil, season with salt, and simmer about a half hour. Remove from heat, add the dill, basil and mint, and steep the herbs for an hour. Strain the broth and transfer to a deep saute pan large enough to hold the fish in one layer.
• Bring the broth to a simmer, add the scallions, tomato and ginger, cook about a minute and remove with a slotted spoon, reserving the liquid. Peel, seed and dice the tomato. Cut the ginger slices julienne style. Set the vegetables aside.
• With a sharp knife, lightly score the skin side of the fillets in a crisscross pattern to prevent them from curling. Bring the broth back to a very gentle simmer, place the fish in the broth skin side down and poach until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the fish to soup plates.
• Bring the broth to a simmer again, spoon some over the fish and top the fish with the scallions, diced tomato, ginger and lemon pieces. Garnish with the coriander and serve. Freeze any leftover liquid for future use.

STEAMED BLACK BASS WITH GINGER AND SCALLIONS

Steps:

• Whisk together soy sauce and sesame oil in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cut a few slits into the fish on both sides using a sharp paring knife. Transfer to dish; turn to coat.
• Toss ginger with scallions; stuff some into each fish cavity. Spread remaining mixture on top of fish. Let stand, covered, spooning marinade over fish often, for 30 minutes.
• Bring water to a boil in a large skillet or wok. Arrange red onion on bottom layer of a 12-inch bamboo steamer. Remove fish from marinade with ginger-scallion mixture still on top, and arrange side by side on onion; reserve marinade. Spread sweet potato and Broccolini on separate sides of the top layer.
• Set stacked steamer in skillet. Steam, covered, until fish is cooked through and vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring marinade to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook until reduced by half. Strain through a fine sieve. Serve fish and vegetables with reduced sauce.