Pan Grilled Sea Bass with two Salads

For two: 

Green salad

• 3 slices bacon
• 4 to 6 fingerling potatoes, depending on how hungry you are
• 1 bunch frisée lettuce
• 1 handful mache leaves
• 3 green onions, chopped fine

I added about 1-½ quarts of cold water to my 2 quart All-Clad Stainless-Steel Saucier and tossed in a couple of heavy pinches of salt. I brought the water to a boil over high heat, added the fingerling potatoes, reduced the heat to a simmer and let them cook for about 20 minutes or until they were just al dente. I transferred the potatoes to an ice bath to stop them from further cooking, drained them, and set them aside.

Once the potatoes had started cooking, I heated my Calphalon One Nonstick 10-Inch Fry Pan over medium heat for about a minute and then added the bacon to the pan. Once the bacon was done, I transferred the slices to paper towels to drain. I took a tablespoon of the drippings for the salad dressing and left the remainder in the pan over very low heat to keep the fat from congealing.

After the bacon had cooked, I chopped the frisée lettuce into bite size pieces, discarding the tougher bottom ends of the stems. I transferred the leaves into a colander. I added the mache leaves and the green onions to the colander. I tossed the greens in the colander under running water and let them drain.

About 5 minutes before service, I cranked the heat under the bacon dripping pan to medium. I sliced the potatoes lengthwise. I seasoned the cut sides with salt and pepper and then transferred them to the pan, cut side down. I let them cook until the cut side was well-browned and the potatoes had heated through.

To serve, I tossed the greens, potatoes, and crumbled bacon slices together. I divided the salad into two bowls and topped with just enough of the salad dressing to wet the greens without turning everything into a sopping mess.

Salad Dressing

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon bacon drippings
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

I combined the first 5 ingredients in a Pyrex Prepware 2-Cup Measuring Cup, blended them using my Cuisinart Stick Hand Blender, tasted the dressing and added salt and pepper to taste. Set it aside.

Fennel-Orange Salad

• 1 bulb fennel, rinsed and outermost layer removed
• any fennel fronds that came on the bulb, chopped fine
• 4 oranges, peeled (cutting off all the white pith) and segmented
• green parts of 3 scallions, chopped fine

I cut the bottom off the fennel bulb to create a smooth surface and then sliced it very fine using my Zyliss Mandoline. I removed the core sections, and chopped the rings into bite-sized pieces. I then mixed the chopped fennel with the other ingredients in a bowl. I added enough salad dressing to wet everything and set the mixture aside to marinate.

The Sea Bass

• 2 6-ounce filets of Chilean sea bass
• salt 
• pepper
• Pam Olive Oil Spray

I warmed my Le Creuset Square Skillet Grill over high heat for several minutes. Meanwhile, I seasoned both sides of the sea bass filets with salt and pepper, and sprayed both sides liberally with Pam. Once the grill pan was really hot, I added the sea bass and turned the heat down to medium-high (7 on my 10 point scale). I let the filets grill for 2 minutes and then turned them 90 degrees, putting them down on new spots, and let them cook 2 more minutes. Once a nice, golden crust had formed, I flipped them and cooked them 3 minutes more. I checked the filets with my Taylor Digital Instant-Read Thermometer inserted into the side of the filet about 1 inch. When it read 135°, I removed the filets from the pan, figuring residual heat would take them up to the recommended 140°mark.

Service

As noted above, I divided the green salad into two salad bowls.

I drained the fennel-orange salad in a colander to remove excess dressing and then divided it in half, mounding each half on one of my Rectangular Sushi Plates. I placed one filet on top of the salad on each plate and napped the filet with a teaspoon or so of the salad dressing. See photos (to come).

To drink, I poured a Bouchard Aîné & Fils Premier Cru Morgeot Chassagne-Montrachet 2005, which made a pleasant but not inspired match. It had enough acidity to deal with the citrus and other assertive flavors in the meal, but was a tad too oaky to develop any real synergy with the meal. When I make this meal again, which I will because both Helen and I loved it, I'll try either a classic-style Chablis or a really buttery California Chardonnay. The Bouchard didn't go enough in either direction to really work, while wines at those extremes probably would show better. An unoaked New Zealand Chardonnay or a California Viognier might also work nicely.