Seared Striped Bass (the Secrets Restaurants Won't Tell You)

Seared Striped Bass

Fish substitutions: red snapper

For each serving:
6-8oz striped bass with skin
2 tsp oil (canola, grapeseed, of some other oil for high heat)
1 tsp butter (optional)
Salt to taste

Diagonally score the skin of the fish in 1 inch intervals to prevent curling. Cut the fish into portions. Sprinkle the fish with salt on all sides at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days before cooking. Keep refrigerated.

If your fish is thicker than 1 inch, preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Set a non-stick or well seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and wait for it to preheat. Dry the fish well with paper towels. Smooth out the skin and place the fish in the skillet skin-side down. Cook until the skin is very brown and crispy, 3-5 minutes. When the skin is almost there, you can add the butter to the pan, but that’s optional.

Flip the fish and take the pan off heat. If you are working with relatively thin fish, a minute or two in the turned off pan will finish it. If your fish is more than 1 inch thick, place the pan in the oven and check up on your fish every couple of minutes. Plan on the total cooking time (stove top + oven) being 6-8 minutes per inch of thickness. To check for doneness, separate the flakes in the thickest part. If the fish is almost opaque (but not quite), it’s done. It will continue to cook as it rests, so don’t wait for it to be completely opaque before you take it off heat. Remove to a plate (make sure you put the fish back together if you broke it) and let it rest for 5 minutes.

In this video, I served it with:
Romesco Sauce:    • Romesco -- the Most Delicious Spanish Sauce  
Snow Peas:    • Snow Peas (the Fastest, Kid-Friendly Veggie)  

Another good accompaniment is pesto:    • The Secret to Great Pesto  

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