Served with a Tomato Cream Sauce and Spinach Risotto
This is a simple recipe that is guaranteed to impress. The butter basting technique works well with most fish.
Part One: Risotto
3 c Water or Chicken Stock
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 c white wine
1 ½ cups risotto
3 T unsalted butter
½ c baby spinach
Salt to taste
In a sauce pan, bring chicken stock, water and white wine to a simmer and keep on low heat.
In a three quart heavy sauce pan melt 2 T of butter and sauté onions until soft. Add the rice stirring until thoroughly coated.
Add 1c of liquid and stir constantly until liquid is absorbed.
Continue cooking on low heat, add ½ c liquid at a time and letting liquid be absorbed before adding more, until rice is creamy but al dente (about 18 minutes).
Add 1 T butter and salt.
Gently stir spinach into risotto
Keep Warm.
Part Two: Tomato Cream Sauce
2 tomatoes finely diced
2 cups heavy cream
1T extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Freshly Ground Black pepper to taste
Finely dice tomatoes. In a sauce pan heat the olive oil on medium heat until it just begins to smoke.
Carefully
add tomatoes and season with a small pinch of salt.
When tomatoes begin to break down add cream and scrape bottom of pan with a wooden spoon.
Reduce cream until it thickens down to about 1 cup.
When thick enough season to taste.
The sauce should be red, creamy and have a sweet but mellow taste.
Part Three: Sea Bass
1 filet of Sea Bass Cleaned, about 7 oz
1 Cedar Plank, toasted
1 T olive oil
3 T unsalted Butter
2 T thinly sliced basil
Salt to taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
Pat Sea Bass dry on paper towels. This is a very important step because it allows you to get a nice crust on the bass.
Season the bass with salt and the freshly cracked pepper.
Heat a nonstick pan on medium heat with the olive oil until it begins to smoke.
Carefully
place seabass in pan. Do not move it as you don't want to disturb the crust as it begins to form.
Watch the bottom edge of bass, a brown crust will be begin to form after 4 minutes or so.
If you see dark brown, turn heat down to low.
After about 6 minutes use a pair of tongs to look at underside of bass, if it has a beautiful golden brown crust, turn fish over. If it does not allow it to cook until it crust forms.
After you have turned the bass over let is sit until in just begins to color.
Once you see a small amount of color, add the butter and basil.
Using a large spoon carefully baste the bass with the butter and basil.
Do so constantly until the butter begins to brown.
Remove the bass from the pan and place it on the cedar plank.
Place in the oven and cook until the juices begin to run clear.
To serve place the sea bass on top of a spoon of risotto and lightly cover the fish with the sauce.
