NEW YORK -- Jean-Christophe Novelli says roasted fillet of sea bass is the favorite entree at his Michelin star-studded London restaurants.
In his new cookbook "Your Place or Mine?" (Clarkson Potter, $35), Novelli explains that "roasting" fish, as in the following recipe for sea bass, means to start by searing it in a frying pan over a very high heat and then to finish it in the oven."For me, this is the best way to cook thick fillets of fish such as sea bass. The idea is to get a golden crust on the outside, which will seal the soft, moist flesh inside. If you were to poach sea bass, it would become rubbery."
Mixing fish and meat, in this case sea bass and sausage, is something he loves to do, he adds, when the ingredients marry as well as these. "You can serve the combination quite simply, or build on the flavors to make the elaborate version we serve in the restaurant."
ROASTED SEA BASS WITH BASIL AND CHORIZO
A little olive oil
4 bay leaves
2 ounces Spanish chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
4 fillets of sea bass, each about 7 ounces
A few leaves of fresh basil
Preheat oven to 425 F.
On the stove, heat to very hot a large ovenproof nonstick frying pan, then add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the bay leaves, chorizo and the fish (skin side down), and briefly pan-fry. Flip over and cook briefly. Turn the fish over again so that it is skin side down, and transfer the pan to the oven to roast for about 5 minutes, or until the skin is golden and the flesh just cooked (see note).
Serve garnished with basil leaves. Makes 4 servings.
Note: It is always difficult to be precise about how long to cook a piece of fish, Novelli writes, because it depends on its size and thickness. You can test it by inserting a toothpick into the center of the fish. "It is ready when the toothpick comes straight out, without any pulling or sticking. The fish will carry on cooking for a little longer after it comes out of the oven, and by the time it is on the plate, it will be perfectly done. If you worry too much that the center of the fish is not quite cooked and then put it back in the oven, by the time it arrives on the plate it will be overcooked."