Striped Bass With Lime Broth Recipes

STRIPED BASS WITH LIME BROTH

Steps:

• Toast coriander, cardamom, and curry paste in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until spices are fragrant and curry paste begins to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Add cilantro stems, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently until flavors meld, 8-10 minutes.
• Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heatproof measuring cup; discard solids. Let cool, then stir in lime juice; season with kosher salt and more lime juice, if desired.
• Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, cut all peel and white pith from grapefruit; discard. Working over a small bowl, cut between membranes to release segments into bowl; discard membranes. Repeat with lime.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season fish with salt and pepper. Cook fillets, skin side down, 1 minute, then firmly press down with a fish spatula to ensure even browning and crispiness. Continue cooking until skin is golden brown and fish is mostly cooked through, about 4 minutes; carefully turn fish and sauté until just cooked through, about 1 minute longer.
• Divide lime broth and fish among shallow bowls. Scatter citrus segments, cilantro leaves, and mint and basil over; drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt.
• DO AHEAD: Broth can be made 1 day ahead (do not add lime juice). Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and add lime juice just before serving.

GRILLED STRIPED BASS WITH LIME GINGER BROTH

Steps:

• Make ginger juice with the 3 inch knob of fresh ginger by grating it into a thin cotton kitchen towel or piece of cheesecloth, then squeeze the juice into a bowl (you want 2 tablespoons); set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the wine to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes; add vegetable stock, ginger juice, mushrooms, and ginger matchsticks.
• Cook for 3 minutes, then strain the broth back into the saucepan, reserving both the broth and the solids; set aside.
• Blend the butter into the broth with an immersion blender; return reserved solids to broth, along with 2 tablespoons lime juice (any extra can be saved for another use), scallions, cilantro, cayenne, and lime zest; cook for 2 minutes then remove from heat.
• Preheat a grill to medium high; season bass pieces with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil.
• Place bass skin side down on grill and cook 2 minutes, rotate a 1/4 turn and cook 3 minutes; flip and cook until flesh is easily flaked with a knife, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove fish to a large oval platter, reheat broth and vegetables, then pour it around the fish; garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs.

PAN-FRIED STRIPED BASS WITH LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• For the sauce, whisk together: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, Salt, Fresh-ground black pepper.
• Taste for salt and lemon juice and adjust as desired. The sauce will separate as it sits; this is not a problem.
• Season: 4 pieces striped bass, skin on (4 to 6 ounces each) with: Salt, Fresh-ground black pepper.
• Choose a heavy-bottomed pan for frying the fish. Take another, slightly smaller pan that will fit into the pan for the fish, and wrap its bottom with foil. This pan will be used as a weight to hold the fish flat against the frying pan to ensure that all of the skin will cook and crisp. (You will see the fish contract when it goes into the hot pan, as the skin shrinks on contact with the heat.) Warm the larger pan over medium-high heat. When hot, pour in: Olive oil, enough to generously coat the bottom.
• Add the pieces of bass, skin side down, and place the foil-wrapped pan on top of the fish. Cook until the skin is brown and crispy, about 7 minutes. Check now and then to see that the fish is indeed browning, but not overbrowning. Adjust the heat up or down to speed up or slow down the cooking as needed. When the skin is browned, remove the top pan and turn the fish. Cook for another minute or so, until the fish is just cooked through, but is still moist and tender inside. Meanwhile whisk the lemon sauce together again and pour it onto a warm plate. Serve the fish skin side up, on top of the sauce.
• Garnish the fish with a couple spoonfuls of chopped tender herbs such as parsley, chives, chervil, cilantro, or basil.
• Soak, rinse, and squeeze dry a tablespoon or so of capers. When the fish is cooked add the capers to the hot pan and sauté for a minute or two. Remove with a slotted spoon and scatter over the fish.
• Make a Beurre Blanc (Warm Butter Sauce; page 228) instead of the olive oil sauce.

STRIPED BASS WITH CUCUMBER BROTH

Steps:

• Cut 1 cucumber into 1/2-inch-thick slices; set aside. Pass remaining cucumbers through a juicer; you should have about 3 cups juice. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whip cream to soft peaks. Stir in horseradish and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator until ready to use.
• Using a sharp knife, make shallow slits in skin side of fish. Heat oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it is very hot. Season both sides of fish fillets with salt and pepper, and place in pan skin side down. Cook until skin is browned, about 5 minutes; turn, and saute until fish is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Transfer fish to warm shallow serving bowls.
• Add garlic and reserved cucumber slices to pan; cook over low heat until cucumber is soft and translucent. Add reserved cucumber juice and the thyme leaves; cook just until mixture is hot. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle cucumber broth and slices around fish; garnish with horseradish cream and thyme sprigs.

STRIPED BASS WITH GINGER-LIME SAUCE

Steps:

• Smash 1 garlic clove. Halve 1 chile lengthwise. Cut 1/2 inch off ginger, and grate remaining 1 inch. Mix these with chile paste on cutting board; mince together to form a paste; transfer to a bowl. Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and 2 tablespoons water. Thinly slice remaining chiles diagonally; julienne remaining 1/2 inch ginger; add to bowl. Thinly slice remaining garlic; set aside.
• Cut fillets in half crosswise. In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add fillets, skin side down; scatter sliced garlic over fish. Cook until just cooked through and very crisp on the outside, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter; pour sauce over fish; sprinkle with scallions, carrots, and cilantro.