STRIPED BASS WITH HORSERADISH SAUCE

Striped Bass With Horseradish Sauce image

Provided by Mark Bittman

Time 15m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 tablespoon neutral oil, like canola, grapeseed or corn
1 1/2 to 2 pounds fillet of striped bass (or red snapper, sea bass or grouper), skin on and scaled
Salt
Cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, or to taste
1/4 cup snipped chives, plus a few chives for garnish

Steps:

Preheat the broiler and adjust the rack so that it is within four inches of the heat source. Oil the surface of the broiling pan and place the fillets on top, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and cayenne and broil until firm and lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness. (The fish is done when it is just about opaque all the way through, and offers no resistance to a thin-bladed knife.)
Meanwhile, gently warm the sour cream over very low heat in a small pan, stirring occasionally. While it is heating, add some salt and cayenne. The sour cream need not get hot and it should certainly not boil; you just want to take the edge off its chill and thin it out a bit. Keep it warm while the fish finishes cooking.
When the fish is done, stir the horseradish and snipped chives into the sour cream. Taste and add more horseradish, salt or cayenne if necessary. Serve the fillets with a bit of the sauce on each, garnished with a couple of chives.