Sea Bass with Red Onion Mousse and Balsamic Vinegar
Surrounded by baby vegetables, a bass fillet is coated with red onion mousse. Chef Sorrentino makes the point that he does not used aged balsamic vinegar in the onion preparation; using a fine aged vinegar in this way “would be too bad,” he says. Any good balsamic vinegar may be used for this step. Note his easy method for rewarming the blanched vegetables!
Ingredients
- Red Onion Mousse
- Red Onions - 2 large, chopped
- Balsamic Vinegar - 3/4 cup
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - 3 tablespoons
- Sea Bass Fillets - four, 6- to 8-ounce
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Vegetables
- Pencil-thin Asparagus - 8, blanched
- baby haricots verts or Blue Lake green beans - 12, blanched
- Baby Fennel - 4, halved lengthwise and blanched
- Snap peas - 12, blanched
- Baby Potatoes - 8, peeled and blanched
- Baby Carrots - 8, halved lengthwise and blanched
- Baby Zucchini - 4, halved lengthwise and blanched
- Unsalted Butter - 3 tablespoons
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Tomato - 1, peeled, seeded, and cut in large dice
- Flat Parsley Sprigs - 4
Instructions
To prepare the onions: Combine the red onions and balsamic vinegar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, until softened but not browned. Put in a processor and puree. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil. Put the mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip.
To prepare the bass: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Season the fillets on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof saute pan or skillet over high heat. Sear the bass on both sides, starting with the flesh-side down, about 1 minute per side. Take the pan off the heat. Turn the bass flesh-side up. Pipe red onion mousse over the flesh side of each fillet. Bake 15 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Set aside; keep warm.
To finish the vegetables: Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Put the vegetables, a few at a time, in a strainer with a handle and lower into the boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds to warm, then drain.
To serve: Arrange baby vegetables around each plate. Place a bass fillet in the center of each plate. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and sprig of parsley. Place tomato cubes in the vegetables on each plate.
