CHILE-CRUSTED BLACK SEA BASS

Chile-Crusted Black Sea Bass image

This recipe came to The Times from the chef Kerry Heffernan, who developed it after an afternoon fishing off Long Island for striped bass but catching black sea bass instead. It was refined in his kitchen in Sag Harbor, then taken back to Brooklyn for further work. It results in fillets of marvelous, flaky simplicity, with a blistering crust that intensifies the sweetness of the fish. White rice and a tangle of sautéed greens are excellent accompaniments, along with a glass of bracing white wine.

Provided by Sam Sifton

Categories main course

Time 45m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

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Ingredients

2 whole black sea bass, approximately 2 pounds each, gutted, scaled and trimmed of fins and gills
3/4 cup kochujang (fermented chile-and-soybean paste, available in many Asian markets and online)
10 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only, finely minced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/3 cup heavy cream (or substitute whole milk)
4 tablespoons neutral oil (like canola)
1 1/2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375. Remove fish from refrigerator, and allow it to come to room temperature. In a medium-size bowl, combine kochujang, thyme, garlic and cream, then whisk into smooth paste.
Dry fish carefully with paper towel. Place them dorsal-side up in a dry, oven-safe saute pan or roasting pan, pulling apart the collarbones to create ''wings'' that will stabilize them in an upright position. Slather the skin of both fish with about half of the chile-paste mixture. Add approximately 1/4 cup of water to the pan, and place carefully in the oven. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, watching carefully to make sure that the exterior does not burn. (If it starts to, cover the fish gently with a sheet of aluminum foil.) Use the tip of a small, sharp knife to check for doneness; remove from oven when the flesh is almost but not quite fully opaque. Allow fish to rest for about 2 to 4 minutes, at which point it will be done.
Meanwhile, make sauce. Add the oil and the vinegar to the remaining chile paste, and whisk to combine. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Using a flexible metal spatula, gently remove the four fillets from the two fish. Serve skin-side up, with sauce on the side, along with white rice and sauteed kale.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 754, UnsaturatedFat 23 grams, Carbohydrate 19 grams, Fat 34 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 91 grams, SaturatedFat 9 grams, Sodium 2240 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams, TransFat 0 grams