Seared Striped Bass with Spring Vegetables

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, also ready a bowl of salted ice water on the side. Add the asparagus to the pot and cook until the water begins to boil rapidly again. Immediately remove asparagus and place in the ice bath. Once cooled completely, remove asparagus from the ice water and set aside. Repeat the same process with the sugar snap peas and fava beans. Use the same blanching water for all of the vegetables, but always reserve fava beans for last as they will turn the water black. After blanching and cooling the fava beans, remove the tough outer skin reserving the beans inside.
2. Add olive oil to a large saute pan. Smash the garlic and add to the pan. Bring to medium high heat, once the garlic has turned golden brown and aromatic remove and discard it. Add mushrooms and stock, season with salt, and saute for 1 minute. Add the blanched vegetables, season with salt and saute until all the vegetables are coated in oil and hot and most of the stock is evaporated. You can serve immediately hot or let cool to room temperature.
3. Remove fish from refrigerator 10 to 15 minutes before cooking and pat skin dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt. Heat a large saute pan with olive oil over high heat. Coat the under side of another smaller saute pan with olive oil. Gently place the fillets skin side down in the large pan and place the other saute pan on top of the fish. This will press the skin of the fish onto the bottom of the saute pan to create crispy fish skin. Be sure to oil the under side of the top pan or the fish will stick. After a couple of minutes remove the top pan from the fish, so the steam can escape and the skin can become crispy. 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. In general fish require 7 to 8 minutes per inch of thickness, less if you like your fish more rare.
4. Place the fish over the sauteed spring vegetables to serve.