LCBO Food and Drink Holiday 2015

ENTERTAINING  SPANISH ACCENTS

4 tsp (20 mL) orange juice 2 cups (500 mL) chicken or vegetable stock ¼ cup (60 mL) whipping cream Salt and freshly ground pepper BASS 8 fillets black bass, each 6 oz (175 g), skin on Salt and freshly ground pepper ¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil GARNISH Maldon or other flaky salt ¼ cup (60 mL) chopped chives 1 Heat butter in sauté pan or skillet on me- dium heat and add carrots and onion. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables begin to soft- en. Stir in coriander, turmeric and ginger. Add orange juice and stock and bring to boil. Cover pan, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are soft, about 15 minutes. With a stick blender, purée sauce and add cream. It should be thick

enough to coat the back of a spoon. If sauce is too thick, add a little more stock. Season with salt and pepper. Reheat when needed. 2 Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). 3 Pat bass skin dry with paper towel, then season with salt and pepper. Preheat a non- stick skillet over high heat then add bass, in batches, skin-side down. Sear until skin is well browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and flip over onto an oiled baking sheet so bass is skin-side up. Bake until bass is still slightly undercooked, about 5 minutes, depending on thickness of the fillet. Bass will continue to cook on baking sheet as you prepare plates. 4 Spoon a pool of sauce onto a serving plate and add the bass, skin-side up. Sprinkle with Maldon salt to finish. Place Cauliflower Risotto with Seafood (recipe page 230) on the side and garnish with chives. Serves 8

When I was in Spain, chefs were increasing the use of vegetables to star in dishes rather than being the background. This recipe illus- trates the trend. Black bass is a thick fish that comes from South Carolina. It is perfect for this dish but often hard to find. Here are some substitutes that you can cook in the same way: Mediterranean sea bass, striped bass, porgy and, in a pinch, halibut. If you use hali- but, which is a thicker fish, bake in the oven for 10 minutes after crisping the skin.

CARROT SAUCE ¼ cup (60 mL) butter 1 lb (500 g) carrots, peeled and cut in 2 inch (5 cm) pieces ½ cup (125 mL) coarsely chopped onion 1 tsp (5 mL) coriander seeds, cracked ½ tsp (2 mL) turmeric ½ tsp (2 mL) ground ginger

ROASTED BLACK BASS WITH CARROT SAUCE & CAULIFLOWER RISOTTO WITH SEAFOOD

faustino vii blanco rioja LCBO 399568, $12.65

Spain’s Rioja wine region is so well known for its red wines that white Rioja is sometimes overlooked. In the past, these wines may have seemed too oaky for to- day’s palate, however this wine, made exclusively from the Viura grape variety, is a modern-style Rioja, with crisp flavours and little, if any, oak influence. Its min- erality and freshness make it an ideal pairing for fish and seafood dishes, lifting the delicate flavour of the sea bass, and providing the necessary acidity to cut through the creamy texture of the cauliflower risotto.

50  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2015