Cooking a Pan Seared Striped Bass over Leek Fondue

Pan Seared Striped Bass over Leek

Fondue with a Red Wine Reduction

and Crispy Potatoes

Pan Seared Striped Bass

• 4 PA striped bass fillets, 4 oz. each,skin-on, descaled and deboned
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 oz. all-purpose flour (for dredging)
• 4 oz. blended olive oil

Score the skin on the striped bass fillets three times, just enough to get through the skin but not piercing the flesh (this will prevent the fish from “curling up in the pan”). Season the fillets with salt and pepper before dredging and shake off any excess flour. Heat the oil in a large nonstick sauté pan (with plenty of surface area) until it just reaches the smoking point. Sear the fish skin side down until golden. Flip the fish over and cook in a 400˚F oven for 5 minutes, until reaching an internal temperature of 135˚F. Remove the fish from the oven and allow to rest on a sheet tray lined with paper towels.

Leek Fondue

• 8 oz. leeks, medium dice, whites only,well rinsed
• 2 oz. butter
• 6 large thyme sprigs, picked clean and rough chopped
• 8 oz. Meyer Dairy heavy cream
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Melt the butter with the thyme sprigs over medium heat in a saucepan.Add the leeks and cook until soft, about 20 minutes. Add the cream and reduce until thick. When completely reduced, adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper.

Red Wine Reduction

• 4 oz. onion, large dice
• 2 oz. carrot, large dice
• 2 oz. celery, large dice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 oz. olive oil
• ½ 750-ml bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
• 4 oz. roasted chicken stock
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 5 peppercorns
• 2 oz. cold butter
• Salt to taste

Brown the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in oil over high heat in a saucepan until browned. Deglaze with the chicken stock and red wine scraping the sides and bottom. Reduce the heat to low and add the aromatics. Reduce the sauce to about 8 ounces of liquid and strain. If too thick, add a little leftover wine (if it hasn’t been drunk yet). Finish by stirring in the butter and adjusting the seasoning with salt.

Crispy Potatoes

• 1 PA russet potato, scrubbed clean
• 16 oz. vegetable oil
• Fine kosher salt, to taste

Heat the oil in a high-sided pot to 365˚F. While the oil is heating,
julienne potatoes with a mandoline and rinse in water (to remove the excess starch). Remove the potatoes from the water and dry (bone dry to reduce the amount of splatter from the oil). Fry the potatoes until golden brown and crisp. Remove and allow to drain on a paper towel and finish with salt.

Plating

• 1 oz. chives, matchsticks

In the center of the plate, place 4 ounces of the leek fondue. Place the fish directly on top of the fondue. Drizzle around the plate with the red wine reduction. Top with the crispy potatoes and chive matchsticks.