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Recipe Detail Page
Steamed Striped Bass
Summer 2012
This easy recipe is all made in one pan. It looks spectacular and tastes even better. Striped bass is a meaty fish with a mild flavour. There are both wild and farmed bass available and they are both excellent. The best substitute for striped bass is red snapper. This fish is naturally steamed with the juices from the vegetables. To double the recipe, use two pans.
½ cup (125 mL) chopped cherry tomatoes
½ tsp (2 mL) grated lemon zest
½ tsp (2 mL) whole coriander seeds
3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 whole striped bass (1½ to 2 lbs/750 g to 1 kg), boned and butterflied, with skeleton
6 fingerling potatoes
1 bulb fennel, trimmed, halved and thinly sliced ½ red pepper, cut in large dice
4 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
½ cup (125 mL) pitted black olives, cut in half if large
2 tbsp (30 mL) slivered basil
1 In a food processor or mini-chop, blend together tomatoes, lemon zest, coriander seeds and 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Brush 2 tbsp (30 mL) tomato vinaigrette on the inside of the fish, reserving the rest to serve separately.
2 Heat remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil in skillet over high heat. Add potatoes and fennel, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 3 minutes or until some colour has developed. Add chopped pepper and whole garlic cloves and sauté for another minute.
3 Reduce heat to medium-low and cover skillet. Cook until potatoes are tender-crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.
4 Toss olives into skillet and place fish on top of vegetables. Cover skillet with lid. Steam for 10 minutes or until flesh is white.
5 Divide vegetables between 2 plates, remove the head and tail. Open the fish like a book, remove skeleton and cut in half. Remove flesh from skin, if desired, and plate 1 fillet on each plate. Sprinkle with basil. Serve remaining tomato vinaigrette separately.
Serves 2
