I arrived in a red convertible, tossing my red bob, my bare feet untucked from red wedges. I fumbled in my red purse, searching for my red wallet.
“I bet your favorite color is red,” he declared with a wry smile.
‘My favorite color is plum,” I replied. Always keep them guessing.
In the spirit of keeping them guessing, I’m posting a main dish rather than baked goods, for a change.
Oil Poached Sea Bass
Inspired by Epicurious
Serves 4
This technique creates perfectly cooked fish, tasting of butter and not greasy at all. Since olive oil can be expensive, I used it twice, first poaching for the dish below and then again the next day for succulent fish tacos. I used my Fennel-Orange marmalade as a condiment.
Ingredients
| 1 qt. | Extra Virgin Olive Oil |
| 1 t. | Fennel seeds, toasted |
| 1 t. | Sugar |
| 1 | Turkish bay leaf |
| 3 | Strips of orange zest (approximately 3” x 1” each) |
| 2 | Sea Bass fillets (1 ¼ lb. total) |
Rub fish with salt and pepper and let stand 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil, fennel, sugar, bay leaf and orange zest in a heavy pot to approximately 210-215 degrees. Submerge fish in oil and cover with lid. Cook fish for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, still covered, and cook with residual heat until just cooked through, 10-15 minutes. Transfer fish to platter using two metal spatulas – fish will be delicate.
Two-Bit Tart 