www.Gourmandia.com

Bass Back, Cooked In Juniper and Almond

Juniper berries are typically associated with wild game cooking. In this recipe, it is used to give

spicy and aromatic flavor to sea bass. Mixed together with preserved oranges, almond powder,

rosemary, thyme, and breadcrumbs, the juniper berries, herbs, fruit and spices create a

wonderful tangy, subtly sweet and very intense coating for the fish filets, which will be seared

in peanut oil and pan-fried. Instead of coating the fish with the breadcrumbs mixture before

cooking, the breadcrumbs with juniper berries, almond, herbs, and oranges mixture is sprinkled

on the fish halfway in the cooking.

Ingredients:

For the bread crumbs: 0.4 lbs. (about 6 ½ oz.) preserved oranges

2 teaspoons juniper berries 5 tablespoons almond powder 2 tablespoons bread crumbs

2 teaspoons rosemary and thyme 1 small bass (about 1.32 lbs.)

0.53 lbs. beets 1 ¾ tablespoons butter

salt pepper

1 tablespoon peanut oil 1 ½ tablespoons heavy cream

5/8 cup raisin core oil For the salad with herbs:

1 oz. cress 0.39 oz. shallots

2 ½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar 0.88 oz. chives 0.14 oz. garlic 0.88 oz. basil

0.88 oz. parsley 0.88 oz. chervil

salt pepper

Directions:

Gut and clean the bass and cut fillets of about 4.2 oz. each. Refrigerate. Peel the beet

and cut into slices. Place on a baking dish covered with sulphuric paper, and cook them

in a 210 degree F. oven until they are entirely dry. Dice the beet slices and sauté them

in butter. Add salt, pepper, and garlic.

In a bowl, mix the chopped preserved orange, the crushed juniper berries, the almond

powder, the breadcrumbs, thyme, and rosemary.

In another bowl, emulsify the cold raisin core oil and balsamic vinegar. Add the salad

ingredients a little at a time starting with the herbs—the chopped shallots, chives,

garlic, basil, parsley, and chervil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the cress in this

salad dressing.

Heat 1-tablespoon peanut oil in a saucepan. Place the bass fillets in the pan and cook.

When the bass is half cooked, sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over it. Turn the bass

onto its other side.

Add old balsamic vinegar to the empty pan where the bass was cooked and boil it

down. Meanwhile, mix the cream with pepper.