Ever come across a dish that has several steps and each one brings you closer to what can only be described as culinary nirvana and therefore oh so worth the effort?
I'm sure you have and if you haven't, you have now!
I have made this beautiful dish over several years, always for special occasions, for special friends who are so worth it and lately for Valentine's day.
I didn't care that it was a week night, that the kids were still at the table at 8.30pm patiently awaiting over empty bowls awaiting their dinner, because I knew that when dinner did get to the table, nothing would sooth our soul, warm the heart and shout L.O.V.E like this dish.
I always use my Emile Henry Brazier or Tagine for this because it really does need a heavy bottom pot with excellent and uniform heat retention and I own no better.
The recipe itself is inspired by a version of a stew I had once eaten in a Michael Mina restaurant and was so taken with this combination of bacon and seafood that I've been using it ever since. What a surprisingly good fit!
So if you're looking for an incredible meal to share it with people you love, who love seafood, then look no further.
Gather the ingredients,
2 lbs total or 4 qty Chilean Sea bass or Halibut fillets or steaks, 1 lb mussels - well-scrubbed and bearded, 1 dozen little neck clams, 3-4 slices bacon, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Garlic oil: 2 pods of garlic - cloves peeled and separated & 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Broth:
1 qty 15 oz can Northern, Navy or Cannelini beans, 1 medium carrot, 1 yellow onion, 1 ripe tomato, 1 sprig fresh thyme, 4-5 sprigs fresh parsley, 1 dried bay leaf, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 1 carton (4 cups) chicken broth or fish broth, 1 bottle (8 oz) clam juice & skin and bones from the fish (explained below)
Vegetable: 2 bunches broccolini or broccoli rabe, 2 tbs olive oil & 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
To serve: More garlic oil to drizzle, crusty bread & lemon wedges
Garlic oil: Place the cloves in a small pot and cover with the olive oil (you may need more oil depending on the size of your pot). Cook slowly on the lowest setting of your stove until the garlic is soft. Set aside to cool.
Onion: Quarter, do not peel.
Carrot: If using whole, do not peel and cut into 1" chunks.
Tomato: Cut into large chunks.
Beans: Drain, rinse and set aside.
Fish steaks: Using a very sharp fillet knife, cut away the bones and the skin leaving you with boneless fish fillets. Reserve the bones and skin for the broth.
Broth: In a pot, add the chicken broth, clam juice, skin and bones from the fish, parsley, thyme, tomato, onion, carrot & black peppercorns. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Sieve and return broth to the pot along with the beans. Taste and adjust salt.
Increase heat to medium high and simmer for another 10-15 minutes to reduce the broth with the beans to about 3 cups.
Bacon: In a cast iton pan, cook the bacon on both sides till crispy. Drain on kitchen paper towels. Reserve the bacon fat. Using a pastry brush liberally apply the bacon fat on both sides of the fish fillets.
Broccolini: Cut off the bottom 2 inches of the stalks. Rinse in tap water and set aside. Heat a large saute pan with olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic slices and sizzle for a few seconds. Add the broccolini and on medium-high heat and saute for about 3-4 minutes until the vegetable is a glossy green and tender crispy. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 deg F
Place a dutch oven or tagine on the stove top on medium heat. Heat the garlic oil along with 3-4 browned garlic cloves, till hot.
Place the bacon in the pot over the garlic oil.
Place the fish fillets & pour the reduced stock & beans over the fish. Sprinkle the red pepper flakes on the fish. Place the mussels and clams all over and around the fish.
Cover and bake in the hot oven for about 30 minutes until the fish is flaky white and the shell fish have all opened.
Layer the broccolini over the fish and return to the oven for another 5 minutes to steam the vegetable to a tender crispy.Just before serving, drizzle about 2 tbs tablespoons of the garlic cooking oil into the broth.
Serve a fillet of fish along with the shell fish and broth in large, wide bowls along with crusty bread. You may serve the vegetable alongside the fish in a separate bowl or in the same bowl.
Recipe for
Poached Chilean Sea Bass, Seafood Broth with Bacon, Beans & Broccolini
Serves 4
Preparation time : 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Shopping list:
2 lbs total or 4 qty Chilean Sea bass fillets or steaks
1 lb mussels, well-scrubbed and bearded
1 dozen little neck clams
3-4 slices bacon1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Garlic oil:
2 pods of garlic - cloves peeled and separated
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Broth:
1 qty 15 oz can Northern, Navy or Cannelini beans
1 medium carrot
1 yellow onion
1 ripe tomato
1 sprig fresh thyme
4-5 sprigs fresh parsley
1 dried bay leaf
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 carton (4 cups) chicken broth or fish broth
1 bottle (8 oz) clam juice
Skin and bones from the fish (explained under preparation)
Vegetable:
2 bunches broccolini or broccoli rabe
2 tbs olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
To serve:
More garlic oil to drizzle
crusty bread
lemon wedges
Preparation:
Garlic oil: Place the cloves in a small pot and cover with the olive oil (you may need more oil depending on the size of your pot). Cook slowly on the lowest setting of your stove until the garlic is soft. Set aside to cool.
Onion: Quarter, do not peel.
Carrot: If using whole, do not peel and cut into 1" chunks.
Tomato: Cut into large chunks.
Beans: Drain, rinse and set aside.
Fish steaks: Using a very sharp fillet knife, cut away the bones and the skin leaving you with boneless fish fillets. Reserve the bones and skin for the broth.
Broth: In a pot, add thechicken broth, clam juice, skin and bones from the fish, parsley, thyme, tomato, onion, carrot & black peppercorns. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Sieve and return broth to the pot along with the beans. Taste and adjust salt.
Increase heat to medium high and simmer for another 10-15 minutes to reduce the broth with the beans to about 3 cups.
Bacon: In a cast iton pan, cook the bacon on both sides till crispy. Drain on kitchen paper towels. Reserve the bacon fat. Using a pastry brush liberally apply the bacon fat on both sides of the fish fillets.
Broccolini: Cut off the bottom 2 inches of the stalks. Rinse in tap water and set aside.
Method:Preheat the oven to 400 deg F
Place a dutch oven or tagine on the stove top on medium heat. Heat the garlic oil along with 3-4 browned garlic cloves, till hot.
Place the bacon in the pot over the garlic oil.
Place the fish fillets & pour the reduced stock & beans over the fish. Sprinkle the red pepper flakes on the fish. Place the mussels and clams all over and around the fish.
Cover and bake in the hot oven for about 30 minutes until the fish is flaky white and the shell fish have all opened.
While the fish is cooking in the oven, heat a large saute pan with olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic slices and sizzle for a few seconds. Add the broccolini and on medium-high heat and saute for about 3-4 minutes until the vegetable is a glossy green and tender crispy. Remove from heat and set aside.
Now layer the broccolini over the fish and return to the oven for another 5 minutes to steam the vegetable to a tender crispy.
Just before serving, drizzle about 2 tbs tablespoons of the garlic cooking oil into the broth.
Serve a fillet of fish along with the shell fish and broth in large, wide bowls along with crusty bread. You may serve the vegetable alongside the fish in a separate bowl or in the same bowl.
Enjoy!
