Seabass fillet with crispy scales, squash variations and a nantua sauce

Preparation time: 45 min

• Preparation

  The bass

  Make sure the fish is empty and clean, rince it gently with cold water.

  For this recipe, it is interesting to keep the scales.  Remove the filets from the bass and then make incisions on either side of the pin bones to remove them.  Be gentle as the flesh is fragile.  Make sure to keep the head and pin bones to make a fish stock.

  Nantua sauce

  Reduce the shellfish stock seen in the class and add the cream.  Let it cook for several minutes to thicken and then season to taste with salt and pepper.

  Preparation

  Peel the squash and cut the flesh side into a nice small brunoise (cubes).

  Cut the other half of the squash into large cubes.

  Peel and mince the garlic and pluck the savory leaves.

• Réalisations

  Squash sautée

  In a hot skillet with oil, sautée the small squash cubes for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and savory.  Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cover and let cook until tender.

  Squash purée

  In a sauce pot with salted boiling water, cook the large cubes of squash until tender enough to blend into a purée.  Once cooked, transfer to your blender with butter, paprika, pepper and lemon juice.  Blend until smooth and then season to taste.

  Bass filets

  In a very hot skillet with canola oil, sear the filets, skin side down.  Press lightly on the flesh side with a spatula to eliminate air pockets.  Season the flesh with salt and pepper  Turn the filets over and remove from the heat.  You are ready to serve.

• Plating

  In the center of a deep plate, place a nice bed of the squash and savory cubes.  Top the bed with a filet of the bass.  Beside the fish, place a nice spoon of squash purée and with the back of a spoon give it a nice form, like a comma.

  Drizzle the fish with the Nantua sauce and feel free to drizzle some around the plate as a decoration.

  Garnish with young sprouts.