SWEET AND SOUR PAN-FRIED SEA BASS - CHEF CATHY WHIMS

SWEET AND SOUR PAN-FRIED SEA BASS - CHEF CATHY WHIMS image

Yield 4 People

Number Of Ingredients 16

3 tablespoons dried cranberries
¼ cup Sherry vinegar
Four 5-ounce sea bass fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup olive oil
½ cup thinly sliced shallots
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Good pinch red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons Italian parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
. . . .
. . . . (continued) . . . "Caramelized flour has a nice flavor and texture," she said, "so I want to preserve that." Other amendments are small but effective: Orange juice mellows the sauce's abrasive quality, while a glug of olive oil adds extra body. Cranberries stand in for raisins-Ms. Whims loves the color they bring to the dish-and Sherry vinegar makes a more nuanced base than white vinegar.
"It is obviously a culture of fish in Venice, and this technique was a useful one before refrigeration," the chef said. With this contemporary rendition, Ms. Whims shifts the emphasis from utility to sheer pleasure.
-Kitty Greenwald

Steps:

1. Place cranberries and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once vinegar comes to a boil, remove from heat and set aside. 2. Pat fillets dry and season with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge fillets through flour and shake off excess. Heat ½ cup oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, fry fillets until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip and fry reverse side until golden, about 3 minutes more. Transfer fish to a plate and discard frying oil. 3. Wipe frying pan and set over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Once hot, add shallots and sauté until translucent but not browned, 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Stir in pepper flakes, cranberry mixture, pine nuts and orange juice, and cook until reduced by a third, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and whisk in remaining oil and parsley. To serve, spoon sauce over fish.