Sautéed Sea Bass with Green Papaya Salad and Blood Orange Vinaigrette

It’s a new beginning of sorts. It’s Spring! We are cooking along with a new chef, Eric Ripert, at IHCC for the next six months. That means cooking more seafood for me and my family. I’m also excited that warm weather is returning. My favorite fish monger will be back at the local farmers’ market with their fresh catch from the Jersey Shore. Hurray! I’ve set my sights on several Eric Ripert’s seafood recipes, starting this week with the sautéed sea bass with green papaya salad and blood orange vinaigrette. Why this recipe? Well, blood oranges are in season, but won’t be for long.

Sautéing fish is fast. Fast may not equate to easy preparation. Admittedly, I’m not totally comfortable with sautéing fish since the margin for error is razor thin. The ingredient is relatively expensive, and I fear ruining a good piece of fish. Trying a new fish recipe can be intimidating. There are a few things that’d keep things (and me) on track. Mise en place or “everything in its place.” Reading the recipe carefully, and repeat, before cooking begins.

The blood orange vinaigrette requires reducing the juice from blood and navel oranges, with shallots and ginger. Then slowly whisks in the olive oil until emulsified.

Making the green papaya salad takes a little more work. The papaya, carrots and red onions are julienned. They are testing my knife skills. Instead of cutting and slicing with a chef knife as suggested, I resorted to using a julienne peeler for the task. I like my gadgets, what can I say?

Green papaya salad with carrots, red onions, lime and fish sauce.

Sautéing the sea bass takes a minute or two over medium-high heat. I didn’t really check the clock. I let the fish fillets cooked until I got the golden brown crust.

The crispy fish is the highlight of the dish. I love the reddish tone and the sweet tart flavor of the blood orange vinaigrette. The raw papaya salad gives the whole dish a distinct chef-like finishing. I could see myself ordering and enjoying this sautéed sea bass with green papaya salad and blood orange vinaigrette at Le Bernardin.

Print Recipe

Sautéed Sea Bass with Green Papaya Salad and Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 blood oranges, juiced
• 3 navel oranges, juiced
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons shallot, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and minced
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 green papaya, peeled and seeded
• ½ carrot, julienne
• ¼ small red onion, thinly julienne
• 10 leaves cilantro, chiffonade
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 6 ounce filets striped bass, skin off, cleaned of blood line
• 2 tablespoons vegetable Oil
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 450 F

2

In a small saucepot, combine the blood orange juice, navel orange juice, shallot and ginger. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce the juice by about half, until it starts to have a thick consistency. Reduce to heat to low simmer and slowly drizzle the extra virgin olive oil in while whisking the reduced juice, creating an emulsion. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

3

To make the salad, cut the green papaya into manageable, stable pieces and thinly slice into julienne. Add to a bowl and combine with the carrot, onion, cilantro, lime juice, fish sauce, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together and set aside.

4

Divide the canola oil between 2 oven-proof sauté pans set over medium-high and heat until the oil is very hot but not smoking. Season the striped bass on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the striped bass in the pans (2 in each), presentation side down, and sear until golden brown. Turn the fish over and put the pans in the oven for 2-3 minutes, or until a metal skewer can be easily inserted into the fish and, when left in for 5 seconds, feels warm when touched to the lip. If the striped bass is only 1-inch or thinner the fish can be cooked all the way on the stove top, without going into the oven. While the striped bass is cooking, reheat the sauce, whisking over low heat.

5

To serve, arrange a bit of the green papaya salad in a nice pile, in the center of four plates. Place the striped bass on the piles and put a little more of the salad on top of each piece of fish. Spoon the sauce around the fish, and serve immediately.

Notes

Adapted from http://www.aveceric.com/all-recipes/sauted-striped-bass-with-green-papaya-salad-and-blood-orange-vinaigrette