Recipe - Moroccan Bass In Tomato Vegetable Broth

BROTH
One fourth pound Onions
One fourth pound Leeks, white only
2 ounce Shallots
One fourth pound Celeriac
One fourth pound Carrots
2 ounce Parsnips
1 One half pound Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
fine
2 Cloves garlic, halved
1 Stalk lemongrass
8 Sprigs Italian parsley
1 Fresh bay leaf
3 Sprigs fresh thyme
4 White peppercorns
One half tablespoon Coriander seeds
One half tablespoon Fennel seeds
1 Star anise
1 teaspoon Sea salt

SPICE MIX
Three fourths ounce Coriander seed
One fourth ounce Anise seed
One fourth ounce Raw fennel seed
One fourth ounce Roasted fennel seed
One half ounce Mustard seed
One fourth ounce Cardamom seed
1/8 ounce Cumin seed
3/8 ounce Ginger powder
3/8 ounce Stick cinnamon
One fourth ounce White peppercorns
One fourth ounce Black peppercorns
1 Bay leaf
One fourth teaspoon Whole mace (or powdered)

BASS
1 pound Fillet of wild sea bass,
skin on, NOTE: can
substitute other fish
One half teaspoon Spice mix as it is not too
delicate
One half tablespoon Sea salt
One fourth cup Chopped cilantro
One fourth teaspoon Lemon zest finely chopped
One fourth teaspoon Orange zest finely chopped
1 One half cup Thin cut or sliced up and blanched
vegetables (zucchini,
squash, baby carrots, young
turnips, haricot verts,
spinach, tomatoes)
pn Of cayenne
Equal portions of the
following herbs, enough to
make about 1/3 cup:
Chiffonade of green and
purple basil
Tarragon, snipped off the
stem
Snipped chervil
Chives, about 1 1/2inches
long
Herb tops for garnish

TASTE SHOW #TS4902

(Adapted from a recipe by Daniel Orr, chef at La Grenouille in New York)

To make the BROTH, peel and chop the onions, leeks, shallots, celeriac,
carrots, parsnips, chopped tomatoes, and garlic. Put the vegetables in a
pot with 3 quarts of water. Add the remaining broth ingredients and simmer
the broth slowly for 1 hour, skimming when necessary and correcting the
seasoning in the last 15 minutes. Then strain and cool the broth quickly.

To make the SPICE BLEND, put all the spices in a coffee grinder and grind
to a fine powder.

To cook the BASS heat one cup of broth in a shallow pan. Cut the fillet
into 4 portions. Season it with the blend of spices and the salt and
cilantro. Place fillets in the broth and poach the bass, spooning the broth
over the fish, until it is snowy white on the outside and just cooked and
translucent in the middle, about 5 minutes.

Heat 3 cups of broth in another pot. Add the lemon zest, orange zest,
thinly cut or sliced up and blanched vegetables, cayenne, and herbs. Season with salt
and pepper.

Put the fish fillets in 4 heated, wide soup plates, ladle over some of the
vegetables and herb broth, and garnish with herb tops.

Yield: 4 servings

Posted to Digest eatlf.v096.n238

From: "Tina D. Bell" tdbell@altair.csustan.edu

Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 19:04:25 0800 (PST)