In an episode from the sixth season of The Office, Michael tries to impress a potential buyer of Dunder Mifflin by getting reservations at Cooper’s Seafood and telling him they make the best Maine lobster in the world, to which Computron—actually Dwight using a robotic voice over the P.A. system—duly corrects him: “Mul-Yam in Tel Aviv is better.”
Sea Bass on Fennel Cream
June 17, 2021
Ingredients
For the sea bass
- 2 ½lbs sea bass fillet, divided into 6 pieces
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Bunch of thyme sprigs
- Ground black pepper
For the fennel cream
- 10oz fennel
- 2tablespoons butter
- 2tablespoons cream
- 2teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and white pepper
For the Cabernet sauce
- 9 ½cups Cabernet Sauvignon wine
- 1 ½cups Marsala wine
- 6oz onions, peeled and diced to size of 1/2 inch square
- 6oz carrots, peeled and diced to size of 1/2 inch square
- 6oz celery stalks, diced to size of 1/2 inch square
- 6oz leeks, sliced to 1/2 inch width
- 3peeled cloves garlic
- 2-3fresh bay leaves
- Bunch of thyme sprigs
- Bunch tarragon leaves
- Bunch of parsley
- 2teaspoons whole black peppercorns
For the vegetables
- 14oz asparagus
- 10oz green beans pods
- 10oz green garden peapods
- 4oz snow peas
- 4teaspoons olive oil
- Salt
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Preparation
To make the sea bass
Sea Bass on Fennel Cream With Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce, from Seafoodpedia
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Step 2
Grease a hot nonstick pan with olive oil and roast the fish slices 2 minutes on each side, first the meat side and then the skin.
- Step 3
Season the fish with salt, pepper, and thyme sprigs and transfer to roast in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.
To make the fennel cream
- Step 1
Slice the fennel into thin slices, heat the olive oil and butter in a saucepan, and sauté the fennel over low heat for about 10 minutes until translucent.
- Step 2
Add the cream and cook for about 10 minutes on low heat.
- Step 3
Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 4
Transfer into a blender and grind into a smooth puree.
- Step 5
Drain through sieve or a very thin colander for a cream with velvety texture.
To make the Cabernet sauce
- Step 1
Place all the sauce ingredients in a large pot and cook until boiling.
- Step 2
Be careful while heating the alcohol because it may catch fire.
- Step 3
Continue to cook over medium heat until the sauce is reduced by half.
- Step 4
Drain and continue cooking to reduce the liquid until the sauce thickens.
To make the vegetables
- Step 1
Asparagus:
Remove the bottom third of the asparagus and peel the stems. Blanch in salted water 3 minutes, drain, and place in dish with ice water. Cool the asparagus and drain again. Cut the stems into rings 1/4 inch wide.
- Step 2
Green beans:
Remove the beans from the pods and blanch in salted water for about 2 minutes. Drain and place in dish with ice water. Cool the beans and drain again. Separate the beans from their skin.
- Step 3
Garden peas:
Remove the peas from the pods and blanch in salted water for about 3 minutes. Drain and place in dish with ice water. Cool the peas and drain again.
- Step 4
Snow peas:
Cut of the ends and blanch in salted water for about 3 minutes. Drain and place in dish with ice water. Cool the peas and drain again.
To make the fennel tuile (brittle fennel pieces)
- Step 1
(Should be prepared a day in advance)
- Step 2
Slice the fennel lengthwise into thin slices, preferably using a mandolin, and dry overnight.
- Step 3
For drying you can use an Easy Dry or alternatively the oven, where the fennel slices should be placed on bakery paper at 150 degrees for about 6 hours, with the oven door ajar.
To plate the dish
- Step 1
Heat the cream in a pot while stirring.
- Step 2
Toss the all of green vegetables in a hot pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and season them with salt and white pepper.
- Step 3
Arrange on a plate: a spoon of fennel cream in the center; a few vegetables in the cream; a slice of sea bass on a bed of vegetables, with roasted skin upward.
- Step 4
Pour hot Cabernet sauce on the fish; season with olive oil and salt; place fennel tuile on top.