Potatoes Crusted Sea Bass with Saffron Sauce
By: Giangi Townsend
Published: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 - 6:19pm

Ingredients




2 6 ounces Sea Bas Fillets
2 russet potatoes, peeled
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup white wine
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon mascarpone cheese
Pinch saffron
Salt and pepper

Preparation

1 Past dry the fish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place a large sheet of parchment on work surface. Halve each potato lengthwise. Using a mandolin, slice each potato half very thinly. Set 5 to 6 slices on parchment in a row, overlapping long sides. Set 5 to 6 slices of potatoes overlapping going on the opposite direction, forming a 6x5 rectangle. Sprinkle the rectangle with salt and pepper. Set 1 fillet across overlapped short end of slices. 2 Fold sides of rectangle over fish, forming packet. Press to adhere. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining potato slices and fish fillet. 3 Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Set wrapped fish fillets, seam side down in the skillet. Cook until golden on bottom, about 6 minutes. Turn and cook until the fish is opaque in the center, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer to plates, cover and keep warm. 4 Add 3 tablespoons of oil to skillet and add the garlic and shallot. Stir for 1 minute. Add wine and saffron. Cook on high heat for 30 seconds. Add the cream and reduce by one half. Season with salt and pepper. Add the mascarpone and remove from the heat. Spoon sauce over the prepared sea bass fillets and serve.

About

Fish… is all I could think since this morning when I got up at 4 am. We have not had fish in so long and I wanted to prepare something new. I am into sauces, so founding a new sauce has been fun.  The sauce from the below recipe was adapted from a  restaurant in a winery in California.  Actually, I originally fallowed the recipe by the note but I was not pleased with the timing as well as the sauce that I modified it to suit my palate.  For a side dish, my son and I did not see eye to eye.  My son wanted steamed broccolis, I wanted spinach…. Well… we are told as a parent to pick your battles, and  tonight I was in no mood to do so and therefore prepared two sided dishes.  Broccolis for my son, spinach for me.  After all he wanted broccolis and I could not refuse him. Great side dishes.
TIP: Do cook the potatoes.  Do not follow my timing for cooking the fish as every stove is different. I have a Wolf that can go from 500BTU to 16000BTU. There is nothing more undesirable to bite into a not cooked potatoes. Make sure that the outside is nice and crisp, and the interior is soft.
I added mascarpone.  More cream would have been fine.  I was not too happy with the flavor of the cream and saffron and the mascarpone gave it a smoother texture-flavor.  Here is just a personal taste.