Recipe - Pan-Seared Scallops With Light Plum Tomato Sauce And Basil

2 Snapper fillets (8 ounce ea);
bones reserved
One fourth cup Olive oil
1 Fennel bulb; cut in wedges
2 tablespoon Shallots
1 teaspoon Garlic
1 Good pinch saffron
One fourth cup White wine
Juice of one lemon
1/8 cup Pernod
One half cup Quick Fish Stock or water;
(see recipe)
Salt; to taste
Freshlyground black pepper;
to taste
3 tablespoon Butter

Heat skillet over mediumhigh flame until it's nice and hot. In the
meantime with a sharp knife, score the skinside of the snapper and salt
and pepper. Add 1/8 of a cup of the olive oil to skillet. Put the snapper
meatside down, sear until you've got a golden crust then turn the fillet
over and cook 2 minutes more. Take the fillets out of the skillet and set
aside while you saute the fennel in the same skillet for 5 minutes. Set the
fennel aside and drain any oil from the skillet. Put remaining 1/8 cup
olive oil into skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, saffron, and
saute for 1 minute. Deglaze skillet with wine, lemon juice and pernod. When
there is almost no liquid left in skillet add Quick Fish Stock or water.
Bring to a simmer and add fennel back to skillet and continue to simmer for
2 more minutes. Put snapper on top of fennel, put skillet in a preheated
425 degree oven for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and put fennel on a
plate and snapper again on top of fennel. Return skillet to high flame and
reduce pan juice by half, remove pan from heat and add butter. Swinging pan
until dissolved and sauce has thickened, salt and pepper to taste and spoon
around fish and fennel. This recipe yields 2