Spicy Striped Bass Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the spicy eggplant: Add 2 tablespoons of the oil to a medium saute pan over high heat. Add the red onion and sweat, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, eggplant, garlic, ginger, bird's eye chile and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the eggplant is browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, fish sauce and chili paste. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and Thai basil before serving.
• For the fish: Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a medium saute pan over high heat. Season the fish generously on both sides with salt and lay it skin-side down in the hot pan. Sear until the skin is crispy, about 2 minutes. Flip the fish and cook for about 1 minute. Adjust the heat as needed. Transfer the fish to a baking sheet skin-side up. Bake until done, about 5 minutes.
• For the red curry sauce: Pour out excess oil from the pan used to cook the fish. Over medium heat, add the scallion whites, garlic and ginger and sweat for about 1 minute. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken stock, palm sugar, fish sauce, red curry paste, kaffir lime leaves and lime zest and juice. Bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Before serving, stir in the scallion greens.
• For serving: Top the fish with the red curry sauce, peanuts, cilantro and Thai basil. Serve with the spicy eggplant.

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium high. Mix the butter, harissa, ginger, garlic, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.
• Tear off 4 large sheets of heavy-duty foil. Divide the carrots, chickpeas and cilantro among the sheets; season with salt and pepper. Place the fish fillets skin-side up on top of the carrots. Season the fish with salt, then spread with the harissa butter. Bring two opposite ends of the foil together and fold twice to seal. Fold in one of the other sides, leaving one side open. Carefully pour 1/4 cup orange juice into each packet. Fold and seal the last side, leaving room for heat to circulate.
• Grill the foil packets until the fish is opaque and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Carefully open the packets and sprinkle with more cilantro.

Steps:

• Sauce: Saute the garlic, scallions, ginger, and the habanero chili in oil in a saucepan. When browned, add the remaining ingredients and cook for 5 minutes.
• Bass: Grill the Striped Bass. Depending on the thickness of the filets and the heat of the fire, grill for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Pour sauce on the bass filets. Garnish with chopped scallions.

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.

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.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water and salt it well. Place the asparagus in the boiling water and cook until the water comes back to a rolling boil. Remove and place it immediately in the salted ice water. When the asparagus has cooled completely, remove it from the water and reserve. Repeat this process with the sugar snap peas and then the fava beans. You can use the same blanching water for all of the veggies, just be sure to always do the fava beans last. Fava beans have very high iron content and will turn the blanching water black. After the beans are blanched and cooled, remove the tough outer skin to reveal a lovely spring green fava bean.;
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil. Smash the three garlic cloves with the heel of your hand and add to the saute pan. Bring the pan to a medium high heat. When the garlic has become golden brown and very aromatic remove it from the pan and discard it. It has fulfilled its garlic destiny. Add the mushrooms and stock, season generously with salt, and saute for 1 minute. Add the prepared veggies, season with salt and saute until all the ingredients are coated with oil and hot and almost all the stock has evaporated. Serve immediately or later at room temperature.;
• Take the fish out of the refrigerator about 10 to 15 minutes before using. Pat the skin dry with a paper towel and season the fish on both sides with salt. Heat a large saute pan coated generously with extra virgin olive oil over high heat. Coat the bottom of another slightly smaller saute pan with olive oil. Gently place the fish fillets skin side down in the saute pan and place the other saute pan directly on top of the fish. The purpose of this is to gently press the skin of the bass onto the bottom of the saute pan to create a lovely crispy fish skin. Be sure to oil the bottom of the top saute pan or the fish will stick to it. After a couple of minutes remove the top saute pan from the fish, this will allow the steam to escape and the skin to become very crispy. As fish cooks it turns from translucent to opaque. The idea is to cook the fish 2/3's of the way on the skin side and flip it over for the last 1/3 of the cooking time. The rule for fish is about 7 to 8 minutes per inch of thickness, a little less if you like your fish more on the rare side.
• Serve the fish over the sauteed spring veggies and call your self a superstar!

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high to high heat. Put a platter in the oven to warm.
• Combine all the spices in a small bowl. Score the skin of the fish with several shallow hash marks using a very sharp knife. Season the fish on both sides with lots of salt and pepper, to taste, and rub both sides with spices.
• Add the oil to the hot pan and cook the fish in 2 batches, until firm, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the fillets to the warm platter. Serve with lemon wedges and garnish with parsley or chives.

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and thyme and cook until the shallots are translucent, about 7 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and tender, about 8 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.
• Meanwhile, season the fish with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in another large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish, skin-side down, and cook until the skin is crisp, 3 to 4 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the wine to the skillet and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Boil over high heat until syrupy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream and simmer to thicken slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour the cream sauce over the mushrooms in the skillet, then add the fish, skin-side up. Simmer until the fish is just firm and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the grill to medium-high.
• In a medium bowl add the orange juice and the lime juice. Stir in the achiote paste, cumin, oregano and salt. Mix into a smooth paste. Rub the paste all over inside and outside of the fish. Drizzle both sides of the fish liberally with vegetable or canola oil. Put the fish on the grill. Grill until golden, about 4 minutes and then carefully flip the fish over. Grill until the fish starts to separate when lifted with a spatula. Fish will be golden brown with some charring.
• Lay the fish on a large platter. Cover with pickled red onions, sliced avocado and chopped cilantro and serve family style.
• To make the Pickled Red Onions:
• Add the sliced onions to a medium-size bowl large enough for the onions to be spread out into a thin layer. Juice the limes into the bowl, then add the chopped chile and salt. Stir to combine. Allow to sit at room temperature for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate overnight. Onions are ready when they are bright pink and softened. Their flavor will be sweet and spicy with a little texture but not crunchy.
• Yield: about 1 cup

Steps:

• 1-Combine 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoons chili powder and garlic powder in a small bowl. Brush over the fillets and let stand 5 minutes. 2-Meanwhile, combine remaining lime juice and chili powder with olive oil, vinegar and salt in a small bowl. Mix well with a fork and set aside. 3-Broil fillets, 4 to 6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. 4-Fill each taco shell with about ½ cup lettuce or cole-slaw mixture. 5- Break fish apart into large chunks with fork, and place chunks in each taco shell or tortilla, on top of lettuce/coleslaw. 6-Sprinkle fish with one tablespoon of avocado. Drizzle with dressing or salsa and serve immediately.

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.

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.