SEA BASS WITH LEEKS, POTATOES, AND THYME

SEA BASS WITH LEEKS, POTATOES, AND THYME image

Yield 4 people

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

4 pieces sea bass fillet, about 6 ounces each and 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick
Salt
About 3/4 pound peeled yellow-fleshed potatoes, preferably yellow Finnish, Bintje, or German Butterballs, cut into irregular bite-sized chunks
1-1/2 cups diced or thinly sliced leeks (including a little bit of the green part)
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
about 1-1/4 cups chicken stock
a splash of so of dry white vermouth
6 table spoons unsalted butter sliced and chilled
a trickle of Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar, if needed

Steps:

Seasoning the fish : - Season the fish lightly and evenly with salt. Cover loosely and refrigerate. Cooking the fish: - Preheat the broiler. Position the rack so it is about 6 in from the element. - Place the potatoes in a saucepan, add cold water to cover, and set over medium heat. Season liberally with salt, stir and taste. The water should taste as seasoned as you would like the potatoes to be. Cook the potatoes at a gentle simmer until quite tender and soft on the edges, about 5 min. -Drain the potatoes well and place them, still steaming, in a 12 or 14in ovenproof skillet. Add the leeks, thyme, about 1 cup of the chicken stock, and a splash of vermouth. Set over medium heat and swirl as the broth comes to a simmer. Add about 4 T of the butter, and swirl until it melts. Taste for salt. Reduce the heat to low and add the fish. Swirl and tilt the pan to baste the surface of the fish with the buttery broth. The liquid level should rise as the bass releases moisture into the broth. If it doesn't, add a little more chicken stock. - Make sure no bits of leeks are stuck to the sides of the pan, or marooned on top of the fish, and place the pan under the broiler. Cook until the surface of the fish and potatoes is lightly gratineed, about 5-6 min. The liquid should be bubbling. Riduce the oven temperature to 500. Cook until the fish is medium-rare, another 1-5 min. - Transfer the fish pan to the stovetop. Using a spatula and tongs, lift the fish, tilt to drain slightly, then place on the platter. - Swirl the pan gently over medium heat to encourage the potatoes to thicken the sauce as it simmers. Add the remaining butter and adjust the salt. Tilt the platter of fish over the pan and carefully drain any liquid. Continue simmering to reduce the sauce as needed, until it has a little body, then taste again. If it seems flat, add a splash of vermouth or a few drops of vinegar. Transfer the fish to the plates and spoon the sauce and potatoes over all.