PAIRS WITH:
INGREDIENTS
SAUCE:
- White Onion- (2-cups)
- Plum Tomatoes (2-cups)
- Chicken Stock (2-1/2 cups)
- Olive Oil (2- Tbsp)
- Cloves (3)
- Brown Mustard Seeds (1- tsp)
- Cumin Seeds ( 1- tsp)
- Dried Red Chile. Halved (1)
- Garlic Chopped (1 tsp)
- Ginger, peeled/chopped (2- tsp)
- Green Chile, hot fresh thin sliced (1-Tbls)
- Turmeric, Ground (1/4-tsp)
- Cayenne (1/8-Tsp)
- Fresh Curry Leaves (12)
- Sea Salt, fresh ground pepper to taste
- Dry Mustard (1- tsp)
FOR FISH:
- Black Sea Bass, with skin ( 6-ounces)
- Turmeric, ground (1/4- Tsp)
- Cayenne, (1/4- Tsp)
- Sea Salt, fresh ground pepper to taste
- Olive Oil (1- cup)
DIRECTIONS
- Puree the onion tomatoes, and stock together in a blender until smooth ( may need to do in batches). Transfer the puree to a 1- quart pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes, or until all of the raw onion flavor is gone. Strain the puree through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on the solids with the back of a ladle until solids look dry and cakey. ( You should have about 1-2/3 cups liquid) Reserve ¼ cup of the solids and discard the rest.
- Heat the oil and cloves in a 2- quart pan over moderate heat until the oil is shimmering, then add the mustard seeds a cook until the seeds pop and are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cumin seeds, dried chile, garlic, and ginger. Reduce heat to moderately low and cook the mixture, stirring until ginger and garlic are softened about 3 minutes.
- Add the fresh chile, turmeric, cayenne, curry leaves, strained stock, reserved tomato solids, salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Put the dry mustard in a small bowl and whisk in a teaspoon pf the simmering liquid to dissolve the mustard. Whisk in a little more liquid, enough to make the mixture pourable and pour into the simmering liquid. Keep the sauce hot.
- Preheat oven to 225f. Lightly score the skin side of the fish to prevent curling. Turn the fish over and rub the turmeric and cayenne into the flesh side. Generously season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat ½ cup oil in a 12- inch skillet over moderately high heat until it shimmers and sauté 3 pieces of fish, skin side down, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the fish over and cook 2 minutes longer. Transfer the fish to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to keep warm in the middle of the oven (oven off), Cook the remaining pieces of fish in the remaining ½ cup oil in the same way. Serve the fish over the sauce.