Pan-roasted sea bass with wild mushrooms *jb

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

2 tb Olive oil
2 lb Assorted fresh mushrooms

Instructions:

-such as white shiitake -oyster or chanerelle -large mushrooms quartered 5 tb Cold unsalted butter 2 -tablespoons cut into pieces Salt and freshly ground -pepper 3 md Leeks white and tender -green finely chopped 1/2 c Chicken stock or canned -low-sodium broth 2 tb Vegetable oil 4 Sea (6-ounce) bass fillets -with skin about 1-1/2 in. -thick 1/4 c Finely chopped fresh -flat-leaf parsley You need thick firm-fleshed fish fillets to take the heat of pan-roasting; sea bass is ideal because the skin crisps up so nicely in the hot pan. Tilefish makes a good alternative. 1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet until almost smoking. Add the mushrooms and cook over moderately high heat stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the butter reduce the heat to low and cook until the mushrooms are browned and the pan is dry about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a saucepan. 2. Melt 2 more tablespoons of the butter in the skillet. Add the leeks cover and cook over low heat stirring a few times until tender about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add to the mushrooms along with the chicken stock; simmer for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Preheat the oven to 450 B0. In a large heavy-bottomed ovenproof skillet heat the vegetable oil until almost smoking. Season the fish with salt and pepper and add to the skillet skin side down. Shake the skillet to loosen the fillets and cook over high heat until the skin is browned and crisp about 5 minutes. Turn the fillets transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for about 4 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through. 4. Stir the butter pieces and chopped parsley into the mushroom-leek sauce. Divide the sauce among 4 large plates and set the bass fillets on top. Serve at once. Food & Wine Magazine December 1996