Acqua Pazza With Sea Bass And Clams Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add the fava beans and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Peel off the black eyelets from the bean's shells. Squeeze and pop the beans from their shells. Transfer the beans to a bowl.
• Add the asparagus and peas to the water and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to the ice water to stop the cooking and drain. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl of beans.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Rub the inside of the skillet with the 1 teaspoon of butter and sprinkle with the shallots. Generously season the fish all over with the salt and pepper, and arrange the fillets, skin-side up, in the skillet. Scatter the mussels over the top and pour in the vermouth and water. Cover the skillet and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cook until the mussels have open (only uncover the skillet once or twice). Remove the skillet from the heat and let rest, covered, until the fish is just cooked through, about 6 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer the fish and mussels to a baking pan, leaving the broth in the skillet, and keep warm in the oven. Meanwhile, bring the broth to a boil, add the vegetables and whisk in the 4 tablespoons of butter, little by little, until fully incorporated. Whisk in the herbs.
• Divide the fish and mussels among 4 wide, shallow soup plates or bowls. Divide the broth and vegetables among the plates and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, garlic, fennel, onion, and pepper flakes to the skillet. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, with a wooden spoon until the vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Deglaze with the wine and stir, scraping up any bits form the bottom of the scraping. Add the tomatoes, water and capers. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, sprinkle the filets with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Slide the fish filets into the broth and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook until the fish is firm and opaque all the way through, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the lid and spoon some of the sauce over the fish. Sprinkle with parsley, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve with plenty of crusty bread to soak up the broth.

Steps:

• In a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add pancetta and stir with a wooden spoon so you have some nice curls. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until crispy then remove to paper towels. Reserve pancetta fat in the pan and add the chicken stock, lemon, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then and then add escarole and clams. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until clams open. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar.
• Season bass fillets with salt and pepper. Place a large saute pan over medium heat and add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Once oil is smoking add the fillets, skin side down and don't move for 3 minutes. Using a fish spatula carefully pick up fillets and set in the pan over escarole and poaching broth flesh side down for 30 seconds.
• Divide escarole and clams with the broth on individual plates, top each with a bass fillet and garnish with the crispy pancetta.