Serves 4
- WHAT YOU'LL NEED
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 4 6-ounce striped sea bass fillets, scored
- Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
- Caramelized Cabbage (page 128)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
WHAT TO DO
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat the canola oil in a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat until it's very hot but not smoking. Season the bass on both sides with salt and pepper and place, skin side down, in the sauté pan. Cook until the skin is nice and crispy, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Turn the fillets over with a spatula and bake until the fish is nice and tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the fish from the oven.
4. Place a spoonful of caramelized cabbage in the center of each dinner plate, then arrange a bass fillet on top. Drizzle the fish with a little olive oil and serve immediately.
Pg. 170 CHEF JEFF COOKS
WHAT'S THE STORY
Now I surely didn't grow up eating striped sea bass. We had red snapper, whiting, catfish, and frozen battered codfish and chips at home. I encountered more exotic (and expensive) fish and seafood at Gadsby's, the Hotel Bel-Air, and the Bellagio in Las Vegas, where world-renowned chefs served them in a variety of preparations. I quietly studied up, and my knowledge of seafood became more extensive. That's the power of books if you use them right.
