Grilled Local Striped Bass with Vidalia Onion Salad By Esca

Filed in archive Ingredient Spotlight , Recipes , Seafood on July 5, 2010

At the renowned Italian fish house Esca, Chef David Pasternack's specialty is a 50-pound bass.

Why not try it?

Here's the recipe: Grilled Local Striped Bass with Vidalia Onion Salad (found via).

Ingredients

4 5-6-ounce portions of filleted striped bass
2 large Vidalia onions (1½ pounds)
1 small bunch of arugula
1 tablespoon of fresh oregano leaves
1 teaspoon of pink peppercorns
1 cup aged red wine vinegar
1 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 cup plus two teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Take the fish out of the fridge 15 minutes before you want to grill it, then pat it dry with a paper towel as it sweats (this will help prevent the skin from sticking to the grill).

2. Wash and dry arugula, then refrigerate until needed.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegars and the brown sugar, then drizzle in 1 cup of the extra-virgin olive oil. Season to taste with sea salt and ground pepper, then whisk in fresh oregano leaves and pink peppercorns.

4. Slice onions in thick rings, then toss them in remaining teaspoons of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill onions until charred, but not cooked all the way through. As onions are finished, take them off the grill, and put them immediately in
the vinaigrette. When all the onions are done, put aside to
cool slightly while you prepare the fish.

5. To grill the fish, brush the skin side with oil, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Then, place on the hot spot of the grill, rotating once after 3-4 minutes to make cross marks. Cooking time will depend on the heat of your grill, but should not be more than 8 minutes.

6. When you are ready to serve, toss arugula into the bowl with onions; serve right away with the fish, drizzling some of the extra vinaigrette around the plate.

Makes 4 servings.