Sea Bass With Tomato Coulis Basil And Asparagus Recipes

Steps:

• Halve tomatoes lengthwise, and over a strainer set in a bowl, squeeze to remove juice and seeds. Place tomatoes and strained juice in the bowl of a blender along with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the vinegar. Blend to a fine puree.
• Cut tough stems from asparagus, and discard. With a vegetable scraper, peel asparagus, starting about two inches from tips. Rinse and drain. Cook in boiling salted water for about 6 minutes. Drain immediately, and cool in ice water. Remove, and set aside.
• With a rubber spatula, push tomato mixture through a fine sieve, to yield about 2 cups of liquid. Place tomato juice in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Add basil, remove from heat, cover and let stand in a warm place.
• Cut three 1/4-inch slices from the flower end of each asparagus. Place a tablespoon of butter in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus tips and the rest of the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper. Cook briefly or until just done. Remove asparagus from pan, and keep warm.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick pan over high heat. Season fish well, and place in pan, skin side down, cooking for about 1 1/2 minutes a side, or until skin is nicely browned. Flip gently, cover, and remove from heat. Fish will continue to cook.
• To serve, remove basil from tomato sauce. Distribute sauce evenly over four warm plates. Place fish, skin side up, over sauce. To arrange asparagus on each plate, distribute small pieces around edge; place two large asparagus pieces alongside fish and lay two more long pieces over them in a criss-cross pattern.

Steps:

• For coulis:
• Blend tomatoes in processor until almost smooth. Gradually blend in oil, then vinegar. Process until coulis is smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Season coulis with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Whisk until smooth before using.)
• For fish:
• Whisk oil and vinegar to blend in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Place fish in marinade in dish; turn to coat. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.
• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Place 1 large rimmed baking sheet on each rack and heat 15 minutes. Dust flat side of each fillet with flour. Brush each heated baking sheet generously with oil. Place 5 fillets, floured side down, on each prepared sheet. Place fish in oven and roast until just opaque in center, about 12 minutes. Spoon 3 tablespoons coulis into center of each plate. Top with fish. Spoon salsa alongside. Garnish with basil.

Steps:

• Put the egg yolks in a large bowl with a pinch of salt and the lemon zest and juice. Whisk to combine, then add the garlic and whisk again. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to a mayonnaise and all the oil is used. Taste and add salt, white pepper and additional lemon juice, if needed. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and chill until required.
• Put the potatoes in a medium-sized pan, cover with lightly salted water, put on the lid and bring to the boil. Remove lid and cook until tender. Drain, toss with a drizzle of oil, set aside and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, cook the asparagus in a large pan of boiling salted water for 3-5 mins until tender. Drain, then drizzle with oil and set aside to keep warm.
• For the sea bass, heat the grill, pour 2 tbsp of the oil into a frying pan set over a medium heat, add the thyme and garlic, and cook for 1-2 mins. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper into the pan, add the fish, skin-side up, cook for 2-3 mins, then remove from the heat. Drizzle with the remaining oil, then cook under the grill for about 4 mins until the skin blisters and the fish is cooked through. Keep the fish warm while you finish the veg.
• Thickly slice the potatoes and arrange a layer in the middle of each of 4 dinner plates. Scatter the asparagus over the potatoes, squeeze over some lemon juice and finish with a grind of black pepper. Top each plate with a fillet of sea bass, finishing with a dollop of mayonnaise and the snipped chives.