Pan Seared Striped Bass
With Stuffed Zucchini & Saffron Mussel Sauce
Recipe provided by Chef Patrice Rames
Pan-seared Striped Bass
4 8 oz striped bass filet
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper
In saute pan heat olive oil until hot. Pan-sear filets of (seasoned on both sides) striped bass filet skin-side down(or your favorite white fish) and cook until nicely browned for 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1 minute.
Stuffed Zucchini
3 zucchini (small sized)
6 white mushrooms
2 plum tomatoes
3 shallots
4 sprigs fresh tarragon
1 oz Pernod (anisette liqueur)
Salt and pepper
Bring pot of water to boil and add salt reduce to simmer.
Cut zucchini in 2 inch “rounds” (3 fingers width). Cook zucchini in simmering water for 4 minutes then strain and cool in cold water. With a small spoon, scoop out the “meat” of the zucchini leaving enough in the bottom of the rounds to form a cup. Reserve the “meat”.
Clean and rough chop mushrooms, shallots and tomatoes (seedless). In a saute pan on medium heat, add olive oil and cook shallots for a few minutes until they become translucent, then add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Then add zucchini “meat”, tomatoes, and Pernod and cook until the moisture has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and add your tarragon. Set aside.
Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. In small roasting pan place your zucchini cups side by side, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. With spoon, fill zucchini cups with your stuffing pressing down with your finger to make sure they’re filled completely. Drizzle again with a little olive oil and cook in 300 degree oven for approximately 10 minutes.
((mussel sauce 1))
((mussel sauce 2))
Saffron Mussel Sauce
16 PEI mussels
1 cup of dry white wine
2 oz. dry vermouth
2 sprigs of fresh tarragon
1 pinch of white pepper
1 pinch of cayenne
2 oz. extra virgin olive oil
1 vine-ripe tomato
2 pinch of saffron thread
4 oz. of cream (optional)
In pot cook mussels with white wine, vermouth, shallots, and tarragon on medium high heat until the mussels open. Reserve and cool. Remove the mussels from shells, strain the juice and reserve.
In a heavy pan (cast-iron preferred) add olive oil and cook one large ripe chopped tomato for 5 minutes, add the mussel juice and bring to a simmer. Using an immersion blender mix well. (Optional, you can strain the sauce at this point). Add cream and saffron threads. Reduce for a few minutes until sauce thickens to the point where it sticks to the back of a spoon. Taste and correct salt and pepper seasoning.
To plate:
In center of warmed plate place bass filet and 3 zucchini cups. Spoon mussel sauce around filet.
