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Roasted Striped Bass* with Preserved Lemon Sauce and Almond
Picada
By Thom Fox - ACME Chophouse,
San Francisco, CA
Serves 4
Ingredients for the preserved
lemons:
6 lemons
1 C kosher salt
Procedure:
Wash lemons and cut down from the non-stem end three-quarters
of the way to the other end, into 4 sections. Stuff each
cut lemon with kosher salt, about 1 cup total. Pack together
in a clean jar. Cover with lid and refrigerate for 3 weeks.
Eventually, the juices of the lemons will be released
and their flavor and texture wonderfully transformed.
Alternatively, preserved lemons may be purchased from
specialty food stores or from the Internet.
Ingredients
for the preserved lemon sauce:
1/2 C preserved lemon rind (about
2 lemons)
1 medium shallot, minced
2 T Champagne vinegar
1 T tarragon, minced
1 C olive oil
Salt to taste
Procedure:
Combine shallot and vinegar and marinate for 15 minutes.
In blender, combine shallot/vinegar mix, preserved lemon
rind and olive oil. Blend until smooth. Fold in minced
tarragon. Adjust seasonings.
Ingredients
for the picada:
1/2 C sliced almonds
1/2 t garlic, minced on a Microplane
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t salt
1/4 C parsley, chopped
Procedure:
Toss all but parsley together in bowl and spread on baking
sheet. Lightly toast in 350∞ F oven.
Mix almonds with 1/4 cup chopped parsley.
Ingredients
for the striped bass:
4 6-oz. pieces striped bass fillet
1 T olive oil
Salt and pepper
Procedure:
Season each piece of fish with salt and pepper. Heat a
nonstick sautÈ pan over moderate heat. Add 1 tablespoon
olive oil and add fish to pan. Cook quickly over moderately-high
heat for about 1 minute. Turn fish pieces over and transfer
to 350∞ F oven. Cook until done, about 3 minutes.
To
Assemble and Serve:
Place each piece of fish on a plate and sauce lightly
with preserved lemon sauce. Top each with 2 tablespoons
of almond picada.
This
dish is particularly wonderful with a small salad of piquant,
crunchy greens like wild arugula, frisée, ancho
cress or young dandelion greens.
*Seafood
Watch: recommends farmed or wild-caught striped
bass from the U.S.
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