Chilean Sea Bass with Heirloom Succotash and Nectarine Puree
The swampy thick air of D.C. is starting to subside. Soon the leaves will change colors, the air will turn crisp and before we know it we’ll be bundled up eating our harvest squashes and wintry soups. We will trade our shorts for sweaters, and flip flops for wool socks. We will say goodbye to summer, and welcome the fall.
In a final attempt to harness the easy going summer vibes, I ventured down to the Dupont farmers market to pick up some seasonal flavors before they disappear. I was drawn, as I always am, to the white nectarines. They have always been my favorite, over the peaches and over the yellows. I sampled one… it was delicious. I then bought some sweetcorn before it goes bland, some dragon beans and a cuccuzza. To be honest, I had no idea what a cucuzza was! They had samples out and it tasted like a squash, so I figured why not give it a go.
Now that I had all these great fresh ingredients, I had absolutely zero idea what to do. A small voice inside me was saying “make a succotash”, and that would make most sense with the ingredients I had. I wanted some sort of puree to plate with that had its own flavor profile, so I decided I would use the white nectarines for that, add one Serrano chili, and green onions to give it some great color. All I needed was a protein. So I jumped on my bike, and headed to Whole Foods. The Chilean sea bass looked the best, and it also smelt fresh. I had the fish monger wrap up one piece (that stuff is pricey, so I only bought one piece and made this dish an appetizer).
I was all set! I headed to the kitchen and started prep. I put on some tunes, thanks to my buddy Toby’s music blog Ruckus Rhythms (http://www.ruckusrhythms.com/). There was one song on their September Playlust that was well suited for the dish and occasion, Goodbye Summer by Misun. https://soundcloud.com/misun/misun-goodbye-summer Give it a listen!
Ingredients
2 white nectarines
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 cup green onions
1-2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 Serrano chili
2 cups chopped cucuzza
2 cups fresh corn
1 cup dragon beans
1 cup sweet onion
1 tsp paprika
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1-4 filets Chilean sea bass
(1 filet for appetizer, 1 filet per person for entree)
(Note: In classic Spencer fashion, I clumsily dropped the edamame on the floor, hence why it is not in the ingredients list.)
Preparation
1) To prepare the puree, saute finely chopped green onions in butter and thyme, and add to food processor (be sure to pick out thyme stems). Char Serrano chili over open flame until the skin is black. Let cool, and remove the skin and add to food processor. Remove skin from nectarines, and take out the pit. Add to food processor, blend, and add salt to flavor.
2) Remove dragon beans from pods, and boil in salted water for 6 minutes. Remove beans from boiling water and place in ice bath (this will help preserve the colors of the beans, and prevent the beans from cooking further). Char corn over open flame, and cut kernels from the cob.
3) In a medium oiled sauce pan, saute onions and cuccuzza on medium-high heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes, and add corn and beans. Add white wine vinegar and paprika, and reduce heat to medium to medium-low. Cook for 5ish minutes, and season to flavor.
4) In a room temperature oiled pan, place the fish skin side down. Place on stove on high heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes, and try to work spatula under the skin. Once the skin is fairly crispy, flip for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
5) Plate and enjoy!
seizethesupper 