Black Bass with Port Wine Sauce
Although quite easy to make, this is a sophisticated dish, combining ruby port-butter sauce, crusty spiced fish fillets, and sauteed herbed mushrooms. Other firm-fleshed fish could also be used.
Ingredients
- Port Wine Sauce
- Ruby Port - 1 cup
- Sherry Vinegar - 1/2 cup
- Butter - 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted, cut into pieces
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Bass
- Bass - Four 6 oz, black or striped bass fillets
- Chinese Five-Spice Powder - 4 tablespoons
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Canola oil - 4 tablespoons
- Mushrooms
- Peanut Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Cepes - 4, trimmed and sliced
- Shallot - 1, peeled and chopped
- Parsley - 2 sprigs, stemmed and minced
- Thyme - 3 sprigs, stemmed and minced
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Chives - 8 whole
Instructions
To prepare the sauce: Combine the port and vinegar in a heavy saucepan and simmer until the mixture has been reduced to a syrupy consistency. Set aside and keep warm.
To prepare the fish: Season each fillet with five-spice powder, salt, and pepper. Heat the oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Put the fish in the pan, skin-side down, keeping the fillets separated (if placed close together they will stew, not brown), and sear for 1-1/2 minutes. Using a spatula, press down on the fish as they cook to sear the skin. Turn and cook for 1 minute. Turn back on the skin side and finish cooking, if necessary; when the fish are opaque throughout, remove from the pan and set aside.
To prepare the mushrooms: In the same pan used for the fish, heat the peanut oil and add the cepes, tossing to coat. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, until crisp on the outside. Add the chopped shallot, parsley, and thyme. Cook until the shallot is translucent, another 45 seconds to 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
To serve: Put the wine reduction in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the butter bits, swirling the pan to combine. Pool port wine sauce on each plate. Arrange a crusted bass fillet in the center of each. Garnish with the cepes. Cross two whole chives on each.
