Sea Bass Poached in Tomato-Saffron Broth
Fresh sea bass poached in a delicious shrimp and saffron broth.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 Large shallots peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup Dry White Wine
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 12 grape or cherry tomatoes quartered lengthwise
- 2 cups shrimp broth or fish stock or water
- 1 tsp Saffron threads
- Salt & Pepper
- 4 6- oz sea bass fillets Grouper - or cabrillo - also works well
- 1 tbsp snipped chives
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a very large (12" or larger) skillet.
- Sauté the shallots till clear but not brown.
- Add the wine and reduce by half ‐‐ about 5 minutes over medium‐low heat.
- Add the bay leaf, cherry tomatoes and shrimp stock.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the saffron, salt and pepper and simmer 3 minutes.
- Can be made 4 hours ahead up to this point.
- Return to a simmer before adding fish.
- Arrange sea bass fillets in a single layer on top of broth.
- Cover and cook for 2‐3 minutes.
- Turn fillets, cover and cook 2 more minutes. (Timing will depend on the thickness of your fillets - the fish should flake easily with a fork.)
- Divide sea bass fillets among four large, heated soup plates
- Spoon broth and tomatoes over top.
- Garnish with chives.
Notes
* Whenever I peel raw shrimp, I place all the shells in a resealable bag and keep it in my freezer. In addition to the shrimp shells, I also add pieces of shallot, onion, carrot, celery, and fennel. Then, when I need shrimp stock, I fill a saucepan with frozen shells and vegetables, and add water, a little white wine, salt, peppercorns, a couple of bay leaves, and a few sprigs of thyme, and boil it down. For this dish requiring 2 cups of shrimp broth, I use 3 cups of water and reduce it to the 2 cups I need. This ensures the concentration of the flavors. Simply strain and use.
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