The Prague Post
October 13th, 2008
Endowment Fund     Business Listings ONLINE      Reservations      Classifieds    Subscriptions
Hotel Prague Centre
Prague Real Estate

Home » Archives » Night & Day

A fish tale

Sea bass is a prized catch from two oceans
From the chef | Search restaurants | Archives

September 12th, 2007 issue

KURT VINION/THE PRAGUE POST
Looking dinner in the eye: the silvery fish is both versatile and very easy to cook.
There are, as many people know, two kinds of bass popular in restaurants worldwide.
The sea bass from Atlantic and Mediterranean waters is a somewhat rare and very versatile fish. Prized for its compact, delicate flesh and fine texture, as well as the relative lack of bones, sea bass is perfect for almost any presentation, from frying to poaching.
Purists, however, believe the flakey white meat is best when treated simply, as in this recipe by Jan Vesecký of Fluidum: seasoned with salt and pepper and stuffed with herbs, with a little lemon to tighten the flesh and a drizzle of olive oil to help crisp the skin.
While commercial farming helps keep European sea bass on grocery shelves, the so-called Chilean sea bass is threatened by overfishing, thanks largely to its popularity in the United States.
Of course, the name is merely a marketing term, disguising a much less palatable name: Patagonian toothfish.
But diners prize this wild fish equally. It has a more intricate, sweet, almost buttery flavor and smooth, flakey texture. In fact, the high fat content of Patagonian toothfish makes it a forgiving catch, difficult to overcook. Again, it’s a versatile fish.
Either way, the simple approach works best with bass.
Jan Vesecký is chef at Fluidum, located at Lucemburská 6, Prague 3–Vinohrady. Tel. 222 211 702.

 

BAKED SEA BASS WITH PROVENCAL VEGETABLES 

Ingredients:

Sea bass (300–400 grams)
1 shallot
1 each red, yellow and green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic
4 new potatoes, boiled
1 lemon
5 cherry tomatoes
50 grams zucchini
3 leaves basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
Rosemary and thyme
Sea salt, pepper
Preparation:
Rinse sea bass and remove scales.
Rub with sea salt, then make a few delicate slices across the side of the fish.
Sprinkle with pepper, cut lemon in half and squeeze both halves over fish.
Stuff fish with herbs and the used lemon halves.
In a baking dish place shallot, bell peppers, garlic and zucchini, all sliced, along with whole potatoes and tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil.
Place the fish (belly down) on the vegetables and sprinkle lightly with olive oil.
Bake in 180 C (356 F) oven for 15 to 20 minutes.


Other articles in Night & Day (12/09/2007):

Browse the Current Issue

If you enjoyed this article, why don't you subscribe to the print version!
We accept secure online transactions provided by PayPal and Moneybookers

Be the first to add a comment!


Full Name: *
City: *
E-mail: **
This comment can be published in the print version of The Prague Post
Enter the text on the right:
 visual captcha
Comment: *
* Required field. In order to be approved for display, comments must have a first and last name and a city.
** E-mails are required and will only be used for internal purposes.

Most visited in Business Listings

Provokator
Hotel booking
The Prague Post Online contains a selection of articles that have been printed in
The Prague Post, a weekly newspaper published in the Czech Republic.
To subscribe to the print paper, click here.
Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.