There’s nothing like cooking up a scrumptious seafood supper, and a delicious fish dish can be twice as nice when paired with the freshest in-season veggies. Our Seafood Merchant, Michael Kanter, shares his special sea bass and artichokes barigoule recipe after the jump.
Sea Bass and Artichokes Barigoule
Makes 4 servings
For the Artichokes:
3 lemons
8 large artichokes
1 medium yellow onion, peeled
2 small leeks, tops trimmed, green outer leaves discarded, halved lengthwise, and rinsed of sand
2 celery stalks, trimmed and peeled
2 small carrots, peeled
2 to 3 pieces thick-slice bacon, about 4 ounces (optional)
1/2 cup (or 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons if not using bacon) extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 dried bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh tarragon
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup dry white wine
Find all the ingredients to our Perfect Pairings’ recipes here.
For the Sea Bass:
2 black sea bass fillets or similar fish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 braised artichokes (see above), sliced
1 cup artichoke braising liquid with the aromatic vegetables (see above)
4 red scallions, tops trimmed
2 tarragon sprigs
2 thyme sprigs
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the Artichokes:
Combine the juice of 2 1/2 of the lemons and 2 quarts of water in a large bowl. Trim each artichoke, removing all but about an inch of the stem, the leaves, and with a spoon, scoop out the thistles of the flower inside. Rub the artichokes with the remaining half lemon as you work to keep from discoloring. Place the artichoke hearts in the lemon water.
Cut the onion lengthwise and then thinly slice lengthwise. Cut the leeks into 2 inch pieces and then cut them into 1/4-inch wide strips. Cut the celery and carrots on the diagonal into 1/8-inch thick slices.
If you’re using the bacon, place it in a large sauté pan with a lid that will be large enough to hold all of the vegetables and the artichokes in a single layer. Place over medium heat and render the fat for 2-3 minutes, turning the pieces once. Add 1/4 cup of the oil, mix with the bacon and cook over medium heat. Add the onion, leeks, celery, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly cook the bacon and vegetables, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but not brown, about 10-12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Drain the artichokes and place them stem side up in the vegetables, leaving space in between each one. Add the bay leaves, herbs, a little more salt and pepper, and the remaining 1/4 cup of the oil. Pour in the wine and 1 1/2 cups of water. Partially cover the pan, and reduce the heat as necessary to keep the artichokes at a gentle simmer, until they can be easily pierced with a knife, 30-40 minutes. If the stems are not cooking as quickly as the chokes, turn from time to time to immerse the stems in the simmering liquid.
Remove from the heat and allow the artichokes to cool slowly in the braising liquid. The artichokes can be served warm with the aromatic vegetables and some of the cooking liquid or at room temperature.
For the Sea Bass:
Pro tips from Mike: There are a few important tricks when cooking fish. First, make sure it is dry before seasoning it and adding to the pan. Second, the pan should not be too hot and the oil in the pan should not be at smoking point. Third, score the skin so it doesn’t tighten, causing it to pull the flesh and curl when heat is applied. Finally, place the fish skin side down in the pan. Do not shake the pan or try to move the fillet around. This will tear the skin. After a minute, gently press fish flat with a spatula or back of a spoon to make sure all the skin is in contact with the pan. As it cooks and browns, it will eventually release itself.
Pat your fish dry. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. In a non-stick skillet large enough to hold the fish comfortably, heat the oil over medium flame. Add the fish, skin-side down. Cook without moving the fillets until they can easily be turned and the skin is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Cook on the other side for 15 seconds and transfer to another skillet.
Add the artichokes, braising liquid, vegetables, red scallions, and the herbs to the fish. Season with salt and pepper and add the olive oil. Bring the liquid in the pan to a slow simmer. Braise the fish until it is opaque and slightly firm, 3 to 4 minutes.
For variety, try changing the dish with seasonal ingredients. In summer use zucchini and tomato. And, in winter, try with some slices of black truffle.