Black Sea Bass with Honey/Mustard Marinade

I went to the greenmarket and bought black sea bass, some Heirloom tomatoes, a baguette, fresh strawberries and was ready for dinner. Since I had never cooked black sea bass before I read up on it and, among other things, learned that the fish begins life as a female but changes into a male. Be that as it may, black sea bass turned out to be terrific food fish that will definitely become part of my cooking repertoire.

Menu

Heirloom Tomatoes
Pan roasted Black Sea Bass with Honey/Mustard Marinade
Rice
Wine: Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Dessert: Strawberries

Prep marinade

2 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoons honey
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon Oyster or Worcestershire sauce
Ground black pepper
¾ pound sea bass fillets, cut in half

Combine marinating ingredients in a bowl. Add sea bass. Marinate for up to an hour.

Cook Sea Bass

Black Sea bass
1 tablespoon butter
Chopped parsley for garnish

Remove fish from marinade and pad dry. Heat butter in a skillet to medium high. Sauté the sea bass for 2 to 3 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fish. Transfer to the serving plates. Return marinade to the skillet and reduce till thickened. Spoon over the fish. Garnish with parsley.

The Heirloom tomatoes looked and tasted so great, I decided all they needed was bit of sea salt and a dribble of olive oil.

“Excellent dinner,” said George. “Everything tasted great.”

I rest my case.

Pasta Plus

Let’s face it, pasta is not my forte. But I wanted a change from all our recent fish, salads and vegetables dinners. Besides, hope springs eternal.

Menu

Tomato Salad with Anchovy & Capers
Fettuccini (or Linguine) with Peas
Wine: Marqués de Cáceres Rioja, 2007
Dessert: Red Cherries

Recipe Tomato Salad

1 large heirloom tomato
Salt and pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed and chopped
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine or sherry vinegar
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Fresh basil leaves, chopped

Cut tomato in wedges and put in a salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Add remaining ingredients. Gently toss.

Recipe Fettuccini

6 oz. fresh Fettuccini or Linguini
Salt and pepper
¾ cup defrosted baby peas, drained
1 tablespoon butter
Grated Pecorino Gran Cru

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and the pasta.
Cook pasta according to recommended time. Drain and reserve ¾ cup of the cooking liquid.
Heat a large skillet, add butter. Mix in pasta. Raise heat, pour in most of the reserved liquid and cook until the liquid has been absorbed.
Meanwhile heat peas in a separate skillet. Mix into the pasta.
Serve with a generous portion of grated cheese.

No question about it: the best part of the meal was the tomato salad. Even without heirloom tomatoes it will become part of my summer repertoire.

Scallops over a bed of Braised Leeks

Braising takes time, but it is worth the effort. Consider the rewards: the dish improves when made ahead of time, is fool proof and guaranteed to taste great. The scallops take 2 minutes to cook. My idea of a perfect summer meal.

Menu

Cold Cherry Soup
Scallops over a bed of Braised Leeks
Wine: Vin de Savoie Apremont 2010
Dessert: Fresh green figs

Recipe Leeks

3 leeks, thoroughly washed and dried
¼ cup olive oil
3 small peeled carrots, sliced into 1- inch pieces
½ cup chicken stock (or water), more if needed
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Cut the leeks lengthwise; then cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
In a large skillet heat the oil, add the leeks and carrots. Let simmer until leeks have softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the liquid, sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer over low heat
until vegetables are completely softened, 20-30 minutes.
Add lemon juice. Let cool and put aside. If refrigerated, remove from
refrigerator 45 minutes before serving.

Recipe Scallops

2 garlic cloves, minced
½ pound scallops, trimmed and dried
1 tablespoon butter
Chopped curly parsley for garnish

In a skillet, sauté the garlic in butter until wilted. Add the scallops and sauté 1 minute per side.

Place braised leeks in the center of a serving dish. Arrange scallops/ garlic mixture over it. Garnish with chopped parsley

Labels: shellfish, braised leek