Sea Bass Poached with Summer Squash and Peppers
Serves 4
Summer Nage
100 g white fish bones, fins and bloodlines removed, cut into 5.1-cm (2-inch) pieces
1 red bell pepper, quartered and seeded
1 small onion, quartered
1⁄2 head garlic, split lengthwise
40 g olive oil
12 g tomato paste
50 g dry white wine
5 g vermouth
400 g Fish Fumet (page 304)
3 sprigs thyme
5 g lemon juice
0.5 g xanthan gum
Salt
1 g smoked paprika
Cayenne
Rinse the bones under cold running water and place in an airtight sealable container. Cover with ice water and refrigerate overnight. Preheat the broiler. Drain the fish bones and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the bones in a single layer on a baking sheet with a wire rack. Roast the bones in the broiler until deeply browned on one side. Flip the bones over and brown the other side. Remove from the broiler and set aside.
Lightly dress the pepper, onion, and garlic in a mixing bowl with 20 g of the olive oil. Transfer the vegetables onto a baking sheet with a wire rack. Roast in the broiler until well charred. Flip the vegetables over and char the other side. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the charred vegetables and heat through, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir with a rubber spatula to incorporate. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the tomato paste is well toasted, about 5 minutes. Add the roasted fish bones to the pan and stir to incorporate. Add the wine and vermouth, stirring to deglaze the pan, and simmer until reduced by half. Add the fish fumet and thyme. Heat to a simmer and reduce by half. Remove the pan from the heat and strain the sauce through a chinois. Transfer to a blender and blend on low speed. Slowly add the remaining 20 g of olive oil, the lemon juice, and the xanthan gum. Turn to medium speed and blend for 1 minute to fully hydrate the gum. Season the sauce with salt, paprika, and cayenne. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Ratatouille
480 g tomato juice
48 g olive oil
100 g eggplant, diced 6 mm (1⁄4 inch)
100 g green zucchini, diced 6 mm (1⁄4 inch)
100 g yellow summer squash, diced 6 mm (1⁄4 inch)
100 g red bell pepper, seeded and diced 6 mm (1⁄4 inch)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
5 g lemon juice
Grated zest of 1⁄2 lemon
Salt
Heat the tomato juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the juice to a simmer and turn the heat to low. Continue to simmer the juice, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Heat a large sauté pan over high heat with 16 g of the oil. When the oil just starts to smoke, add the diced eggplant. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and place the eggplant on a paper towel to drain any excess oil. Set aside. Heat a separate sauté pan over medium heat with 16 g of the oil. When the oil is very hot, add the zucchini, yellow squash, and garlic. Cook until softened but not browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and transfer to a paper towel to drain any excess oil. Set aside. Heat the remaining 16 g of oil in a sauté pan over high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the diced pepper and sweat, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and transfer to a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
Heat a large saucepan over low heat. Combine all of the cooked vegetables in the pan with the reduced tomato juice. Stir to incorporate. Heat the liquid to a simmer and reduce until thick enough to bind the vegetables together, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and keep warm.
Pickled Squash
1 baby green zucchini
150 g White Balsamic Pickling Liquid (page 295)
Using a mandoline, slice the squash crosswise into 2-mm (1⁄16-inch) thick slices. Place the squash in a heatproof container. In a saucepan over high heat, bring the pickling liquid to a boil. Pour the hot liquid over the squash and let cool to room temperature.
Sea Bass
500 g striped sea bass fillet, skinned
Salt
60 g Lemon Oil (page 284)
Fleur de sel
Heat a water bath to 62°C/144°F. Cut the fillet into four equal size portions. Season both sides of each portion with salt. Place each seasoned portion in a separate zip-top bag. Divide the lemon oil among the bags. Add the bags to the water bath to just below the zip-top line, allowing the water pressure to push the air out. Seal the bags. Cook the bass in the water bath until the fish is opaque and cooked through, about 9 minutes. Remove the bags from the water bath and carefully remove the fish, keeping each portion intact. Place the bass on paper towels to drain any excess oil. Season the fish with fleur de sel and keep warm.
To Finish
1⁄2 green zucchini
1⁄2 yellow zucchini
Olive oil
Fleur de sel
Using a mandoline, slice the squash crosswise into 2-mm (1⁄16-inch) thick slices. Submerge the slices in ice water for 30 minutes to crisp and curl. Drain the squash slices from the ice water, dress with olive oil in a mixing bowl, and season with fleur de sel.
Place one sea bass portion in the center of each of four bowls. Divide the ratatouille among the four bass portions, covering each piece of fish completely. Divide the summer nage among the four bowls, spooning the sauce all around the fish. Cover each fish completely with the pickled squash and the dressed squash slices, alternating colors. Break the sauce with several drops of olive oil.
Credit to NoMad Cookbook.
