BAKED SEA BASS IN CRUST WITH BASIL

Baked Sea Bass in Crust With Basil image

Provided by Marian Burros

Time 1h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons salt, if desired
1 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons ice water
1 2 1/2-pound sea bass, weighed with head and tail on, then cleaned, with fins removed
Salt to taste, if desired
Freshly ground pepper to taste
10 fresh basil leaves
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Steps:

Place all pastry ingredients except water in the bowl of a food processor and blend for 5 seconds. Add water gradually and blend until pastry pulls away from the sides and begins to form a ball. On a floured board, shape the dough into a ball. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place the fish on a flat surface. Sprinkle its cavity with salt and pepper and stuff it with the basil leaves.
Divide the chilled pastry in half and roll out one half into a rectangle 16 by 9 inches. Arrange the pastry on a large baking sheet. Arrange the fish lengthwise over the center of the pastry. Brush the pastry all around the fish with the egg yolk mixture.
Roll out the remaining pastry in a rectangle and place over fish. Press the pastry around the sides of the fish to seal it. Use a sharp knife to cut pastry around fish, leaving a border of about 1 1/2 inches. If you wish, trim the pastry into the shape of a fish and decorate the top with cutouts or a scale pattern using a No. 6 pastry tube to indent the dough. Brush pastry with remaining egg yolk mixture.
Place the fish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is lightly browned. Reduce to 400 degrees. If necessary cover crust with aluminum foil. Cook for 15 minutes more. Serve immediately with tomato coulis with basil.