Ingredients:
---BROTH--- |
1/4 pound onions |
1/4 pound leeks -- white only |
2 ounces shallots |
1/4 pound celeriac |
1/4 pound carrots |
2 ounces parsnips |
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes -- seeded and finely chopped |
2 cloves garlic -- halved |
1 stalk lemon grass |
8 sprigs italian parsley |
1 piece fresh bay leaf |
3 sprigs fresh thyme |
4 pieces white peppercorns |
1/2 tablespoon coriander seed |
1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds |
1 piece star anise |
1 teaspoon sea salt |
---SPICE MIX--- |
3/4 ounce coriander seed |
1/4 ounce anise seed |
1/4 ounce fennel seed -- raw |
1/4 ounce fennel seed -- roasted |
1/2 ounce mustard seed |
1/4 ounce cardamom |
1/8 ounce cumin seed |
3/8 ounce ground ginger |
1 stick cinnamon -- (3/8 ounce) |
1/4 ounce white peppercorns |
1/4 ounce black peppercorns |
1 piece bay leaf |
1/4 teaspoon mace -- whole or powdered |
---BASS--- |
1 pound sea bass fillet -- wild; skin on |
1/2 teaspoon spice mix |
1/2 tablespoon sea salt |
1/4 cup chopped cilantro |
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest -- finely chopped |
1/4 teaspoon orange zest -- finely chopped |
1 1/2 cups mixed vegetables -- thinly sliced and and blanched such as squash -- baby carrots, zucchini, young turnips, haricot verts -- spinach, tomatoes) |
1 dash cayenne |
1/3 cup chiffonade of green and purple basil,tarragon, chervil, chives |
1/3 cup herb tops for garnish |
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Preparation / Directions:
To make the BROTH, peel and chop the onions, leeks, shallots, celeriac, carrots, parsnips, chopped tomatoes, and garlic. Put the vegetables in a pot with 3 quarts of water. Add the remaining broth ingredients and simmer the broth slowly for 1 hour, skimming when necessary and correcting the seasoning in the last 15 minutes. Then strain and cool the broth quickly.
To make the SPICE BLEND, put all the spices in a coffee grinder and grind to a fine powder.
To cook the BASS heat one cup of broth in a shallow pan. Cut the fillet into 4 portions. Season it with the blend of spices and the salt and cilantro. Place fillets in the broth and poach the bass, spooning the broth over the fish, until it is snowy white on the outside and just cooked and translucent in the middle, about 5 minutes.
Heat 3 cups of broth in another pot. Add the lemon zest, orange zest, thinly sliced and blanched vegetables, cayenne, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
Put the fish fillets in 4 heated, wide soup plates, ladle over some of the vegetables and herb broth, and garnish with herb tops.
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