Steamed Sea Bass With Passion Fruit Beurre Blanc

Steamed Sea Bass With Passion Fruit
Beurre Blanc
Pair this dish with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

By Harvey Steiman
From Wine Spectator magazine

Sea Bass

1 whole stalk celery
1 onion, chopped
1 whole fennel, chopped (including leaves)
1/2 bottle dry white wine
4 sea bass fillets, about 1 1/2 pounds
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Passion Fruit Beurre Blanc (see below)
Roasted New Potatoes (see below)

Passion Fruit Beurre Blanc

4 to 6 passion fruits (enough to make 1/4 cup seedless pulp)
1/4 cup pan liquid from the fish
1 stick cold butter, cut into 8 to 10 slices
Salt and white pepper

Roasted New Potatoes

2 pounds small new potatoes, scrubbed clean
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Break the celery into ribs, rinse well and arrange in a crisscross pattern in a roasting pan large enough to hold the fish in one layer. Add the onion, fennel and wine to the pan and place it over a burner to bring it to a boil.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400° F. Place the fish over the vegetables, season lightly with salt and pepper, cover the pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.

Gently remove the fish fillets to a heated plate, reserving the liquid, and keep them warm while you finish the sauce. Transfer the fish to four heated plates and spoon a little sauce over the fillets. Serve with Passion Fruit Beurre Blanc, Roasted New Potatoes and boiled or steamed green beans.

Serves 4.

Passion Fruit Beurre Blanc

Cut the passion fruits in half. Scoop out the pulp and push it through a coarse sieve, catching the pulpy juice in a bowl. This removes the dark seeds, which can turn bitter if cooked. You should have 1/4 cup juice.

Reserve 1 tablespoon of the juice and put the rest in a wide saucepan with the 1/4 cup pan liquid. (Use the widest saucepan you can find; the wider the pan the faster this will go.) Boil the liquid until it almost evaporates, swirling the pan to prevent burning. Off heat, add the reserved tablespoon of passion fruit juice. It will sizzle merrily. As it settles down, start adding the butter, 2 or 3 slices at a time, swirling the pan to melt it evenly. Add the next few slices of butter just before the first ones melt. Return the pan to the heat for a few seconds at a time as needed to keep the pan warm. All you are doing is melting the butter and incorporating it with the reduced liquid. It should never come close to simmering. Season to taste with salt and white pepper and spoon over the fish.

Note: To make the beurre blanc ahead of time, omit the pan liquid. Instead, boil 1/2 cup white wine plus a few slices of celery and onion separately until the liquid reduces by half. Strain this mixture and use it in place of the steaming liquid. When the beurre blanc is made, store it in a Thermos to keep it warm for up to two hours. Do not try to keep it in a double boiler.

Roasted New Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Toss the potatoes with oil, season them generously with salt and pepper and arrange them in a single layer in a roasting pan. Bake 30 minutes, shake the pan and continue baking until they feel tender when pierced with a knife or skewer, perhaps 5 to 10 minutes longer.