My story is one you’ve probably heard before. Young Jewish woman is pre-med in college, ends up in law school after a chemistry accident. After a few years of glamorous environmental law, she was off to Geneva and finds herself at the UN listening to terrorists discuss human rights. How to top that? Pastry school in Paris was the obvious choice. A catering business in Geneva, taught a few cooking classes in French and then came back and started a cooking school in the D.C. area. Oh yeah, had four kids at some point. Now I travel the country teaching kosher cooking and baking and proving that Kosher food can be beautiful, elegant and delicious. Along the way, I set out to start a kosher baking revolution. Join me.
Sea Bass in Saffron Cream Sauce (Dairy)
serves 6
2 lbs sea bass
1 large onion, quartered
2 carrots, cut in thirds
1 stalk celery, cut in thirds
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt
¾ teaspoon saffron threads
1 tablespoon half and half cream
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse and dry the sea bass filets. Cut the fish into 3 X 4 inch pieces, trimming off any small pieces (set aside) to make nicely shaped rectangles. Place the rectangles on a baking sheet. Set aside.
Place the fish trimmings into a small saucepan, add 2 ½ cups of water, the onion, carrot, celery, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Strain into a bowl.
Drizzle the fish with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the heat to broil and cook for 3 minutes more. Remove from oven and set aside covered with foil to keep warm.
Measure ½ cup of the fish stock and place into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Add the cream and saffron and cook another 30 seconds. Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, whisking it into the sauce until it is all mixed in. Serve the fish in a pool of sauce.