Pan Fried Sea Bass With Broccoli, Sorrel Sauce And Salsify
Posted: January 10, 2009 at 12:42 am
Serves 4
Ingredients
Seabass
- 4 seabass fillets, skin on, about 175g each
- velouté (see below)
- 2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets
- handful of sorrel leaves, chopped
- 150g salsify
- olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Velouté
- knob of butter
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 200ml dry white wine
- 200ml dry vermouth
- 400ml stock (fish, vegetable or chicken)
- 300ml double cream
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method: How to make pan-fried sea bass with broccoli
1. To make the velouté, heat a knob of butter in a wide saucepan. Stir in the shallots and sauté gently for about 10 minutes until soft but not coloured. Pour in the wine and vermouth and boil until reduced by half. Then add the stock, return to the boil and reduce by half. Stir in the cream and simmer gently until the sauce is the consistency of pouring cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper and strain the sauce through a fine sieve.
2. To cook the fish, heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan until hot. Season the fish fillets and place them in the pan, skin side down. Fry, without moving, for 2-3 minutes until the skin is crisp and the fish is cooked two thirds of the way through. Turn the fillets and cook the other side for about 30 seconds.
3. While the fish is cooking, blanch the broccoli in boiling salted water for 2-2½ minutes, then drain well. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, wash and peel the salsify, cut into approximate 5cm batons and par boil in salted boiling water until tender. Remove and pat dry.
5. Transfer the fish to a warm plate and lightly cover with a piece of foil. Pour the fish velouté into the pan and scrape up the sediment with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan. Simmer for a few minutes, then add half of the chopped sorrel and take off the heat.
6. Heat some butter and olive oil in a pan, add the salsify batons and toss until browned.
7. Divide the broccoli among warm serving plates and lay the sea bass fillets on top. Pour the sauce around the plate and garnish with the salsify. Serve immediately.