last monday's dinner

i made chilean sea bass the other night, the way my mother would make it. when my mother cooks, her number one goal is to make sure its healthy. secondly, she throws in whatever she has in the fridge. we had a brief desire for "healthy living," so we picked up the freshest fish at wild edibles, in amish market. to accompany the fish, i also made wild rice (out of the box!) and a simple, orange salad. it was healthy, simple and flavorful. wish i had more to show for it than this crappy photo:

 

miss anna style fish

servings:  2

ingredients

2 chilean sea bass filets, about 1/2 lb each (substitute with any white fish)

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 fennel bulb, chopped

1 serrano chili, chopped

1 lemon, juiced

1 glass of white wine

salt and pepper

small handful of fennel fronds, chopped

handful of dill, leaves picked and chopped

handful of cilantro, chopped

what you'll need

• paper towels
• knife
• cutting board
• saute pan
• tongs (the best kitchen tool)

prep
dry the fish filets with a paper towel and season both sides with s&p. rub a small amount of olive oil into each side. heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat and add onion and garlic. saute until the onion and garlic is slightly translucent. add the serrano, fennel and bell pepper. once the veggies have softened slightly (just under 2 minutes), remove all the veggies from the pan and reserve. add a small dollop of olive oil to the pan. when the olive oil is hot, but not smoking, add the fish. cook on the first side for about four or five minutes (should become opaque on the bottom and sides of the fish. flip fish and cook for a couple minutes. add wine and lemon juice and reduce the liquid slightly. add the veggies back into the pan with the fish and continue to cook until the fish is firm, but still has slight elasticity. don't be afraid to touch it with your finger (unless you're dirty, which is gross and you should go wash your hands). with fish, i say its always better undercooked than overcooked. season to taste with salt and pepper. garnish with fennel fronds, dill and cilantro, then serve with lemon slices.
 
tips:

• chop all the veggies about the same size (except the serrano - biting into a huge chunk of it could be unpleasant), so that they cook evenly and make a better presentation.

• reserve any lemon you might have used for clean-up. even if your fish is very fresh, when it's cooked, the "fishy" smell might still linger. use lemon to get the stank out of your hands, pans, whatever.