Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Risotto

Patagonian Toothfish (aka Chilean Sea Bass - rumored to be an alternate name so the fish would be more commercially marketable) seared in clarified butter in a well seasoned cast iron pan.  Salt and white pepper then drizzled with basil infused EVOO.  This fish has an amazing flavor and texture.

I paired it with a classic wild mushroom and asparagus risotto with homemade vegetable stock.  Served on a hot plate...hmm, hmm, good.

Preparing Fresh Striped Bass

From this...

...to this!

After battling the cold, the wind, and the waves with some of my colleagues from work, I was able to bring home some nice striped bass from the mouth of the Potomac and the Chesapeake. Fish doesn't get any more fresh than this folks and there is no better way to get it than to get it yourself. For all you "fish huggers" out there, I'm sorry but I do catch and keep from time to time. When I do, I keep only what I will eat and nearly always what I can eat the same day. Fish like Striped Bass (Rock Fish) were created to be a food source (and a very healthy one) so if you have a problem with catching and keeping fish in the respectful and conscientious way I've just described, then I would respectfully suggest you keep your problems to yourself.

With truly fresh fish, the simplest preparation is best.  I first prepared a simple lemon beurre blanc using 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, couple drops of white wine vinegar, and sliced shallots reduced at a simmer to 1/4 cup and then strained.  Then add about 1/2 cup of heavy cream and two sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature and whisk to emulsify.  Season with salt and white pepper to taste.  Next, the fish were filleted, dried with a paper towel, then lightly seasoned on both sides with sea salt and white pepper.  It was then seared in olive oil for about 2-3 minutes on either side on medium-high heat.  Spoon warm sauce over fish and pair with homemade mashed potatoes, steamed asparagus, and a glass of Pinot Gris.

As I've explained before, if you don't have fresh line caught fish just laying around on ice, you should be careful to examine fish before you buy it in the market. I believe this is important for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that fish is often expensive. Fish that is not fresh is also not tasty and many people who claim not to like fish have this feeling because they have not had fresh fish that has been properly prepared. When buying fish, you should use the following criteria: First, the appearance of the fish should be moist but not slimy or dry. The flesh should be firm not mushy and it should smell like the sea with no fishy or off-putting odor. Blood, if visible, should be bright and pinkish in color. Lastly, the flesh of white fish should have a pinkish tone (never grey) and dark fish such as salmon and tuna should be bright and deep in color. For whole fish, the eyes should look alive and clear, not pale or off colored (notice the picture of my fresh fish above). The gills should be bright pinkish-red and the fish should not have signs of mishandling or damage. If the fish does not meet these criteria, then it's not fresh and you should not buy it.

Seared Tuna with Rice

Seared tuna is one of many favorites.  I've mentioned I am not a huge sushi fan, but rare Tuna is a special treat.  This is only the second time I have seen it in the past two years in the town I live in where it was fresh enough to entice me to buy it. 

Preparation for this meal is really very simple.  The most essential part is finding the most fresh, quality grade tuna possible.  A fresh tuna steak should be bright red, slightly translucent on the surface, moist throughout (especially along the edges with no dryness or darker colors), and should have almost no smell.  If you find tuna that meets these tests, it is fresh and ideal for searing.  Be sure to have your fish monger pack the fish and surround the package with crushed ice to keep the fish fresh until you get home.  Once you reach your kitchen, you should unpack the fish.  Dry it of moisture, then pour some crushed ice into a tray.  Crushed ice is best because it cradles the fish evenly.  Place plastic wrap over the ice and lay the tuna steaks on the top of the covered ice.  Now place the fish in the refigerator until you are read to prep it for cooking the same day.  It does not need to be covered when cooking the same day.

When ready, take the tuna and coat it lightly with oil on all sides.  Next take coarse ground black pepper and sea salt, sprinkle liberally on a tray or plate (about 2/3 pepper).  Coat the entire surface of the tuna evenly.  Next take dark and light toasted sesame seeds and repeat the process being sure to coat all surfaces.  The tuna is now ready for searing.  To do this heat a thick bottomed skillet, preferably stainless steel, and heat until a bead of water rolls around without just evaporating the moment it hits the pan (not hot enough) but does not separate into many smaller balls (too hot).  It should stay together and ride around the pan.  Once this heat is reached, carefully dry the pan with a paper towel and swirl an even coating of Canola oil on the bottom. Lift the pan and turn to coat the bottom evenly.  Carefully place the tuna in the pan.  Sear on all sides, only cooking until the outer edge turns light about 1/2cm all around.  Slice against the grain with long cutting strokes (not carving strokes) supporting the sides to ensure the slices do not flake appart.

Pair the tuna with your favorite sauce, usually a wasabi or orange teriyaki based sauce.  Rice of almost any kind works well, although a simple white rice is perhaps traditional (not the version I paired above, which is more of a chinese variation).

Broiled Grouper with Lemon Risotto

So, I found some nice red grouper at the store and decided to give it a try.  I think I would have honestly preferred a nice piece of snapper, but sometimes you take what you can get - especially when you live in North Alabama.  Not knocking 'Bama, just saying fresh high quality fish is just about impossible to find 'round these parts.  When you buy white fish, the appearance should be nice and not dry, the flesh firm not mushy, the smell like the sea, not fishy, and the blood should be bright and pinkish in color.  If the fish does not meet these tests, then the choice is simple: do not buy it.

Anyhow, I decided to go with a quick broil since this was a weeknight meal and broiling is very fast.  Marinade is simple: sea salt, white pepper, then softened butter brushed on top.  Next diced shallots, squeeze of lemon, and fresh grated parmesan reggiano.  Be generous with the parmesan so it will form a nice crust when you broil the fish.  Next prepare a baking sheet covered with foil.  Brush some of the softened butter on the foil where you will place the fish to prevent it from sticking.  Now place the oven on broil at 450 degrees.  You can either use a conventional or toaster oven.  Now place the fish in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes for a 1 inch thick fillet.  It should be only warm in the center, not piping hot, otherwise it will be over cooked and dry.  It should be moist and flakey.  Notice in the picture, there is almost no coagulation of proteins (white fatty looking deposits) on the fish when properly cooked.  High heat, shorter cooking time is the way this is accomplished.

For the risotto, bring about 6 cups of water to a simmer in a pot.  In a heavy bottom skillet, melt butter on medium high heat and add finely chopped scallions.  Soften and add 1 heaping cup of risotto (arborio rice) and cook until translucent.  Next add 1 cup dry white wine.  Once absorbed, begin adding hot water 1 cup at a time until absorbed each time.  Stir continually.  Each time you add water, the rice should begin to flow.  If the rice does not flow, you should add more water.  Once the rice is softened and finished cooking, add 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 Tbsp of lemon zest, and a sqeeze of lemon juice.  Next add 3/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan reggiano and 2 Tbsp of butter.  Integrate and remove from heat.  Season with salt to taste.  This is a very good, creamy risotto.  A slightly modified version of a recipe I got off one of my favorite websites, Saveur.

Seared Salmon with Champagne Sauce

Those who know me, know I love fishing but a close second is the cuisine my finned friends make possible. Here I am sharing what is probably my favorite salmon recipe. It is simple and comes out perfect every time. If you want to prepare an easy seafood dish that will impress both your mouth and your guests (and in that order) then this is for you:

2 salmon fillets (as uniform in thickness as possible)
2 cloves of fresh garlic
1 shallot
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup of Champagne (I use Cava - Spanish Champagne)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon of sugar
fresh tarragon
fresh ground salt/ black pepper

Salmon: Prepare fillets by removing the skin with a very sharp, thin bladed knife. Once skin is removed, pat the fillets dry until any visible surface moisture is removed (important for searing). Heat a skillet on high heat (cast iron works very well). Once your skillet is very hot, sprinkle fillets with fresh ground salt and pepper liberally. Add butter to the pan until just melted and then carefully place fish into the skillet. It is important NOT TO MOVE the fillets until about 3-5 minutes or until a golden brown sear has formed. Flip fillets with spatula and sear to a golden brown on the other side. Once both sides have seared nicely, remove the fish immediately and place in a small baking pan. The center of the fish at this point will be raw. Finish off by baking in the oven at 200 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until they flake through.

Champagne Sauce: this sauce is stinkin' awesome. Start by chopping the shallot and mincing the garlic. Heat a small skillet to medium high and add olive oil. Once oil is hot, add the diced garlic and shallot; cook until caramelized. Add the Champagne and reduce by half (if the Champagne is on the dry side, simply add some sugar. It is probably best to just use a Spumante). Once champagne has reduced, lower to medium low heat and add flour. Stir aggressively to integrate, then add the cream. Avoid allowing the cream to boil by maintaining a relatively low heat. At this point allow the sauce to reduce until it thickens a little. Add salt and pepper to taste. Finish by adding fresh tarragon. Reduce to a low heat. Serve by spooning sauce onto the plate and placing the fillets over the sauce. Spoon remaining sauce over fish. Pair with veggies like steamed green beans and new potatoes.

Seared Amberjack w/ Pumpkin Puree

Look, I've never had pumpkin paired with fish either but this turned out pretty well. I like to experiment occationally with unlikely ingredients - combining sweet with spicy flavors to try and form a balanced and complementary dish. The pumpkin puree was seasoned with honey, lime, butter, a little sugar, and then heated adding a little corn starch to thicken. The Amberjack was seasoned with fresh ground sea salt and white pepper, then seared with non-salted butter in a cast iron pan. The fish was finished off in the oven at 200 degrees for about 25 minutes. Lime was then sprinkled over the fish to add an acidic/ sour flavor offsetting the sweet puree. I then seared a wedge of the pumpkin in butter and finished it by roasting along side the fish in the oven. The pumpkin was flavored with cinnamon and a bit of honey after roasting. I steamed Asparagus to go with this but a risotto and spinach salad would have worked out better. If you get really brave, give this a try some time.

Fish N Chips

One of my all-time favorite meals is Fish N Chips with homemade fries and tiny green peas (and they must be tiny). I've been working to perfect a tempura style batter and after several tries, I think I'm only a step or two away from the perfect concoction. If anyone thinks they have the recipe down stone cold, let me know. I'd love to give your version a try. I want the end result to be crispy but extremely light. As far as the fish, I've used Mackerel, Cod, Haddock, and a few other fish of similar flavor and texture. Like I said, if anyone has suggestions, let me know.

Fishing Trip Pensacola and Gulf Shores

The family and I took one of our bi-annual trips to the gulf last week for some R&R and some intense Fall saltwater and flyfishing action. Our Destination was Orange Beach in Gulf Shores just off Perdido Key. My Mom, Dad, Sister, Bro-in-law, Niece, and his Mom came along too. It was a crew and we made it happen.


As with most vacations, this one was way too short, but we had a great time just the same. The weather was beautiful but because the Pensacola Bay was stained from all the rain to our North, our fishing trip would take us offshore. This was a great call by Capt. Baz Yelverton of Gulf Breeze Guide Service, who was a stand up guy and a master of the sport. Check out the pics. I think you'll agree it was a good day to be alive.


Thank you Lord for being so good to me and my family.

See video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyCGWRgGupk