At Otium, the restaurant associated with the superb Broad Museum in Los Angeles, I was inspired by chef Timothy Hollingsworth to develop a sea-bass chowder that could be either a heavy appetizer or a light main course.
Servings: 4
Chowder
2 cups chopped floury potatoes such as Yukon Gold
1 cup chopped onion
Half a small bulb fennel, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
3 cups fish or chicken stock
1 cup milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Belgian endive
2 tbsp clarified butter or olive oil
1 tsp sugar
4 small Belgian endives, cut in half lengthwise
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp fish or chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Fish
4 four-ounce (125 g) fillets Mediterranean sea bass on the skin, patted dry
2 tbsp olive oil
Garnish
2 pieces of cooked bacon, finely chopped
Method
Add potato, onion, fennel and thyme to soup pot. Add stock and milk and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain the broth and reserve. Place vegetables in a food processor or use a stick blender. Add enough broth to blend into a thick purée. Slowly add more broth until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Season well with salt and pepper. Reserve.
Heat clarified butter in skillet. Sprinkle in sugar and lay Belgian endive cut-side down in pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until a deep brown. Turn over and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Add orange juice and stock. Gently simmer for about 2 minutes to reduce to a glaze. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve until needed.
Preheat oven to 450 F.
Heat oil in ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and add fish skin-side down. Fry until skin is brown, about 3 minutes, flip over then transfer pan to oven. Bake for 5 minutes or until the fish is just cooked. Reheat chowder and Belgian endive.
Froth chowder, if you have a frother. Spoon chowder into four wide soup plates. Top with fish, skin-side up and add two pieces endive per person. Scatter with bacon and dot with any juices left in the endive pan.