Sea Bass Steamed With Lemon Grass And Chili Coconut Broth Recipes

SEA BASS STEAMED WITH LEMONGRASS AND CHILE-COCONUT BROTH

Steps:

• Pour the clam juice, sherry, soy sauce, and coconut milk into a heavy-bottomed saute pan or pot the same diameter as your bamboo steaming basket and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering and add the lemongrass, ginger, chile, scallions, mushrooms, bok choy, and curry paste. Continue to simmer gently for 15 minutes to let the flavors mingle.
• Arrange a layer of lettuce leaves in the steamer basket to keep the fish from touching the raw bamboo. Season the fillets with salt and pepper and arrange them on the lettuce in the steamer. Set the steamer over the simmering liquid, cover with the bamboo cover, lower the heat, and steam gently until the fish is cooked through, 8 to 9 minutes.
• Remove the steamer from the pot. Use tongs to remove the bok choy and mushrooms from the liquid and divide them decoratively among 4 dinner plates or wide, shallow bowls. Arrange the fish fillets on top of the vegetables on each plate. Pass the rice family style from the bowl.
• Use tongs to fish out and discard the lemongrass and ladle a little of the broth over the fish on each plate. Scatter some scallions over each and serve.

BASS ROSACE, STEAMED IN LEMON GRASS, SERVED WITH CAVIAR AND LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• To prepare the fish: Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and arrange the sliced bass in a single layer. In a small sauce pot, bring 1/4 pound unsalted butter and vermouth to a high simmer, melting butter. Remove from heat. When slightly cooled, brush both sides of fish with butter glaze.
• To form the rosace: Take one strip of bass and wrap tightly around your index finger. Remove your finger and tightly wrap another strip around centerpiece. Repeat procedure until you have formed a rose (approximately 7 strips per rose). When rose is shaped, fan out top of rose by bending top part of the fish backwards to give it a petal shape.
• To prepare steamer: Fill the bottom half of steamer with lemon grass, onion, celery, carrot, 2 sprigs of thyme, bay leaf, half of the peppercorns and half bottle of champagne
• To prepare the lemon sauce: In a medium rondeau, sweat shallots with olive oil over medium heat. When translucent, add lemon peels, juice of lemon, garlic, remaining thyme, and peppercorns. Deglaze with remaining champagne and reduce until dry. Add heavy cream and reduce. Remove from heat and whisk in cubed butter one at a time. Season with salt and pepper. Strain through a chinois or fine mesh cap. Reserve and keep warm.
• To prepare zucchini: Cut into 4 1/4-inch segments. Quarter each segment and `tournee into leaf shapes. Blanch into boiling salted water. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat and shock in ice bath for 1 to 2 minutes. Reserve.
• To plate: Bring liquid in steamer unit to boil. Arrange rosace in the top part of the steamer unit and cover. Steam for 7 to 9 minutes until fish is cooked and moist. In a small saute pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter with chicken stock to form a glaze. Add zucchini and warm through. When bass is cooked, remove from steamer and dry the base of the rose. Place on the left side of the plate. To the right, arrange the zucchini petals into a leaf shape. Place 2 to 3 pepper strips at the base of the zucchini petals to form the stem. In a small bowl, combine caviar with a small amount of lemon sauce. Spoon sauce around the base of the rose. Top off with lemon segments and chervil. Serve immediately.

CHINESE STEAMED SEA BASS

Steps:

• Season sea bass with salt.
• Place 1/3 of the spring onions and ginger onto a glass or ceramic plate; cover with sea bass. Scatter remaining spring onions and ginger over the sea bass.
• Bring a wide pot of water to a boil. Set a rack inside the boiling water; place the plate of sea bass on top. Cover pot and steam until sea bass flakes easily with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour out any water that may have collected on the plate.
• Mix soy sauce, chile oil, and sugar together in a small bowl; pour over the sea bass before serving.

BAKED SEA BASS WITH LEMONGRASS & GINGER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Wash the sea bass inside and out, and pat dry with kitchen paper. Score across the fish and through the skin 4-5 times on each side, then lay the fish on a large piece of oiled foil, big enough to wrap it up loosely.
• Put the lemongrass, chillies, garlic and ginger into a mortar with the honey and 1 tbsp of the oil. Squeeze in the juice of one of the limes. Bash a few times with the pestle until everything's bruised - there's no need to grind it finely.
• Season the fish inside and out. Scrape out half the pounded mixture over the fish, add the last of the oil and rub everything in, making sure you push some into the cuts.
• Cut the second lime into quarters and push two pieces into the cavity along with the remainder of the pounded mixture. Fold each kaffir lime leaf in half and tear out the central vein to give you two halves. Push these into the cavity, too.
• Squeeze the juice from the last two lime quarters over the fish and pull the sides of the foil up to create a loose parcel. Crimp the edges to seal, making sure there is some space around the fish.
• Bake for 25 minutes. If you're eating the fish straight away, let it rest for about 5 minutes before opening the parcel. If you're taking it to a picnic, wrap it in another layer of foil the minute it's out of the oven.

STEAMED SEA BASS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put half the ginger in the cavity of the fish, then lay it on foil. Pull the sides of the foil up around the fish to create a foil bowl, then add 1 tbsp water (this will steam the fish), seal and cook in the oven for 15-20 mins or a large bamboo steamer until the fish is flaking apart.
• Transfer to a serving platter, leaving the juices in the foil. Heat the soy sauces, oil and palm sugar in a saucepan with 1 tbsp water until boiling and bubbling. Top the fish with the spring onion, chilli, most of the coriander and the rest of the ginger. Pour the hot liquid over the fish to 'cook' the aromatics on top. Scatter over any leftover coriander stalks to serve.

SEA BASS WITH COCONUT-CURRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and curry powder. Sauté mixture until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Mix in coconut milk and stock; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and boil until liquid is reduced to thin sauce consistency, about 50 minutes. Add carrots; simmer until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; keep warm.
• Preheat broiler. Place fish on baking sheet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil fish until just opaque in center, about 8 minutes. Using metal spatula, transfer fish to plates. Spoon sauce over fish. Sprinkle with green onions.

SEA BASS BAKED IN COCONUT MILK

Steps:

• Sprinkle the fish lightly with the salt and place it in a non-reactive baking pan just slightly larger than the fish. Spread the seafood marinade over the fish, massaging it into the flesh with your hands. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the fish from the refrigerator and surround it with the shallots, galangal and lemongrass. Pour in the coconut milk. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through. Place the fish on a platter. Discard the galangal and lemongrass and pour the sauce from the pan over and around the fish. Serve immediately.

HERB-STEAMED CHILEAN SEA BASS

Steps:

• Cut the sea bass in half horizontally.
• Season the inside with salt and pepper and fill the center with the chopped herbs.
• Reassemble the sea bass and season the outside with salt and pepper to taste.
• Wrap in plastic wrap.
• Steam the sea bass in an 8-inch, flat-bottomed steamer, covered, for 6 minutes, or until it is barely opaque.
• To assemble: Remove the plastic wrap.
• Use a very sharp knife to cut the fish into eight 2-inch wedges.
• Choose a flat, colorful plate to set off the dramatic form of the fish.
• Stand one wedge on its end and show the herb filling of the other.
• Garnish with fresh herbs.