Lemon Basil Dressing
½ cup EVOO
¼ cup lemon juice
1/8 cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup chopped basil
1/8 cup sugar
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Using a bender or stick blender, incorporate all ingredients except the oil. Once they are well combined, slowly add the oil while the blender is on high. This should emulsify into a dressing. Place into a container and refrigerate.
Searing your Bass
Remove your recently caught and fileted striped bass from the refrigerator.
2 8oz pieces
Pat the skin dry with a paper towel and season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan coated generously with vegetable oil over high heat. When the oil is hot, place the fish skin side down in the sauté pan and put a small plate on top of the fish. The purpose of this is to gently press the skin of the bass onto the bottom of the sauté pan to make the skin crispy. After a couple of minutes remove the place from the fish, this will allow the steam to escape and the skin to become very crispy. The idea is to cook the fish 2/3’s of the way on the skin side and flip it over for the last 1/3 of the cooking time. The rule for fish is about 7 to 8 minutes per inch of thickness, a little less if you like your fish more on the rare side. Put the fish aside skin side up to rest while preparing the warm salad.
Tomato Spinach Salad
¼ cup of lemon basil dressing
2 tomatoes sliced into wedges
4 cups of raw baby spinach
Use the same pan you used to sear the fish removing excess oil and put on med-high heat. Place tomatoes in the pan and cook while stirring for about 90 seconds. You aren’t trying to cook the tomatoes, just warm them. Add the spinach and the dressing. Stir for another 45 – 60 seconds and remover with tongs onto a platter. Place the fish on top of the salad. Garnish with sliced lemons and fresh basil. Can be served with your favorite couscous or rice. Enjoy!
RECIPE BY: Beau Marchitelli, Executive Chef of Michael’s Harborside and Harborside Catering, fuses classic Mediterranean culture, Eclectic Asian and traditional American coastal cuisine. Marchitelli has received Best Caterer North of Boston and People’s Choice Award Best Caterer.