Copying B&G Oysters Greatness With Striped Bass

During my vacation I got to escape the craziness of having kids for one whole day, thanks to my parents who accepted to babysit. That day was memorable for all sorts of reasons, one of them being the restaurant where my husband and I went for dinner. We went to this great little Boston restaurant called B&G Oysters. Owned by renown chef Barbara Lynch, it wasn’t a surprise we landed in the right place for a night out on the town.

Besides indulging on some amazingly fresh oysters (which were opened right before our eyes), I ate a delicious plate of Striped Bass. The meat of a striped bass is white and its texture is between flaky and meaty. Its taste is rich and sapid. Above all, stripers are versatile; no matter what you feel like doing, from batter frying them to smoking them to poaching in court bouillon, striped bass can handle it.

When we came back home from our day trip, I couldn’t resist making my dad jealous by telling him what I had eaten: Striped Bass. He’s a huge fan of the fish and wouldn’t stop talking about having it for dinner. So I made him a deal he couldn’t resist: I offered not only to prepare dinner, but also to try to recreate the dish I had eaten at B&G Oysters. I always love a good challenge and this one, I felt, was one I could easily take on. And I did! I managed to reproduce (or copy!) a great dish just by instinct and memory. Although it lacked a little bit of finesse (I’ve mentioned this in my previous post but only had access to basic ingredients), it tasted damn good. And the meal certainly pleased my dad. That made my day!

STRIPED BASS LAID OVER FRESH CORN

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

Fish

1 pound fresh striped bass filet (skin on), cut in 4 equal pieces

Salt & pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

Corn

4 corn on the cob

1 tbsp sugar

¼ cup milk

1tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, minced

2 celery branches, cut in small sticks

¾ cup chicken broth

1 thick slice of bacon, cut in ¼-inch pieces

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp fresh chive, finely chopped

Red Pepper Topping

1 red bell pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp white onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt & pepper

1 tbsp flat parsley, finely chopped

PREPARATION

Red Pepper Topping

In the over, on the boiler or the BBQ, roast the red pepper. Once done, take off the skin and cut in tiny cubes. Set aside.

In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and the garlic and cook until tender. Lower the heat and add the red pepper dices. Let cook until the pepper is soft and tender. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Add the parsley just before serving.

Corn

In a large pot, boil some water with the sugar and milk. Cook the corn for about 6 minutes (more or less, depending on the size of the grain). Drain. Cut the grains off the cob and set aside.

In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and the celery. Cook until tender. Add the chicken broth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Close the heat and add the butter. Your sauce will become nice and shiny. Add the chives just before serving.

In a small skillet, cook the bacon until it’s nice and crispy. Set aside. Add to the corn mixture just before serving.

Fish

Season the fish with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Cook you fish, skin side down. You should cook ¾ of your time on the skin side and finish ¼ of the time on the flesh side. Be careful not to burn the skin. Striped Bass should be cooked thoroughly. It should take about 8 minutes.

SERVING

In a deep plating dish, lay some of the corn mixture (don’t forget to add the bacon and the chive before serving!). Add a piece of the fish on top of it, skin side up. Garnish with some of the red pepper mixture (don’t forget to add the parsley before serving!!). Et voilà! Enjoy! 

This is the original version from B&G Oysters