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 Here is a great recipe inspired by the chef who got me started,
Joseph Insalago. I met Joseph at a restaurant in Marina del Rey,
California in 1975. Joseph would buy fresh Pacific Red Snapper
from local merchants and work magic with it. If you are a little
adventurous and want to try a dish that is to die for, this one will do
the trick. Every time I make it, I raise a toast to Joseph.
Although I've tried other types of fish, small mouth bass seems to have
the character to stand up to this dish.
The bass is shown served with
Shitake Wild Rice
Ingredients:
- 2 Small mouth bass fillets (from a 12"-14"
fish)
- 1 1/2 oz. brandy & 1/2 oz. dry vermouth mixed
together
- Juice from 1/2 fresh lemon
- 30 red grapes (seedless)
- 1 egg (beaten)
- Flour
- Bread crumbs
- 2 Tablespoons of
clarified butter
Directions:
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Pre-heat oven to 450o. Dip fillets in
beaten egg and then coat lightly with mixture of flour and bread
crumbs. A 60-40 mixture of flour to bread works well.
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Add
the clarified butter to a heavy aluminum pan and place on high
heat. (You can add a bit of olive oil to the butter at this
point. It helps keep the butter from burning.) When you are
sure the butter is very hot, add the fillets rib side down first.
They will brown quickly. Turn them over and immediately add
the brandy/vermouth mixture. Ignite this and prepare yourself --
and your smoke detector -- for a large flame. |
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As the
flame dies, squeeze the fresh lemon over the mixture, add the grapes and
place the pan in the hot oven for about 10 minutes. The grapes
will turn light pink in color and be firm but no longer crisp. Serve with the pan drippings, and grapes. Try some fresh asparagus
and wild rice as accompaniments. Have a glass of
Chardonnay and,
as Julia says: "Bon Appetite!" |
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