SUPERBLY HERBY STRIPED BASS WITH LEMON CHIVE BEURRE BLANC

Superbly Herby|Gluten-free|Seafood

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Ingredients

The Brine:

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon peppercorns

1 heaping cup ice

2-3 pounds striped bass filets, skinned and cut cross-wise into portion size pieces

The Beurre Blanc Sauce:

¼ cup shallot, finely chopped

¼ cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

3 tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup heavy cream

10 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pats

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons chives, chopped

The Breading:

½ cup flour

2 tablespoons Dish off the Block Superbly Herby Spice Blend

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

This recipe starts with a brine for the fish. While this is not a required step, I highly recommend it! It transforms the texture of the striped bass! I will never cook this type of fish again without a brine first. Trust me on this!!

To make the brine, combine the warm water with the salt, brown sugar, lemon juice and peppercorns in a small bowl. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolves. Add the ice and stir until the brine is cold. Place the fish in the brine and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

While the seafood is brining, make the beurre blanc sauce. Combine the shallots, wine, vinegar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium size saucepan and bring to a boil. Let cook for 4-5 minutes until only about 3 tablespoons of liquid remains. Add the heavy cream and cook until reduced by half. Remove from heat. Whisk the cold butter into the sauce, one pat at a time, until all are incorporated, and a thick glossy sauce has formed. Stir in the salt, pepper, and chives. Cover and set aside at the back of the stove. Do not put over direct heat or the sauce will break.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

When you are ready to cook the fish, remove it from the brine and pat the portions dry with paper towels. Combine the flour and Superbly Herby in a large ziplock bag. Place the striped bass portions in the bag, 1 or 2 at a time and shake until they are evenly coated in the flour mixture. You do not want to add too much to the bag at once so the fish gets evenly coated and does not stick together.

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. When it is very hot and the butter is bubbling, add the fish and sear for about 1-2 minutes per side. Again, you will want to do this in batches so that the seafood is not crowded in the pan which will cause it to steam instead of sear. The fish will not be cooked through in the center. Place the fish on a foil lined baking sheet and cover it tightly with foil. Place in the oven for 8-10 minutes and then remove it from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes more. If your portions are very thick leave them in for the full 10 minutes, if they are thinner 8 minutes should be fine. They should be just barely cooked through when you pull them from the oven and they will carry-over cook while they sit for 10 minutes out of the oven

Serve the fish over mashed potatoes (I did a combo of regular and sweet potatoes in the photo) or rice with your favorite veggies or a side salad… but make sure you get plenty of that crazy decadent and delicious beurre blanc sauce on top!!