Sole, Green Pea Pesto, Baby Yukon Potatoes, & Spring Salad with Lemon Honey Vinaigrette

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Prep Time:  30 mins    Cook Time:  30 mins    Serves:  2

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With warmer temperatures and the return of Daylight Savings, Spring has officially returned.  Sole is a delightfully light and delicate fish that fits perfectly into this Spring recipe with a sweet and mild flavor.   Sole fillets can be very thin and fragile so it is important to handle them carefully and cook them quickly in a hot pan to avoid overcooking.  

The cucumber and carrots can be shredded with a box grater or cut into a very thin julienne, whichever you are more comfortable with.  If you have the knife control and skill, you might get better results with a julienne.  If you are pressed for time or just not confident enough to make such small cuts, shredding them is perfectly fine.  

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ingredients:

• 2 6-oz Sole fillets
• 1 cup fresh English sugar peas
• 8 Baby Yukon potatoes
• ¼ cup shredded carrots
• ¼ cup shredded cucumber
• ½ cup basil; chiffonade
• ½ cup mint; chiffonade
• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice; divided
• 2 tbsp honey
• ½ shallot; chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic; chopped fine
• ¾ cup + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• ⅓ cup chicken stock
• Salt & Pepper to taste

method:

Place baby Yukons in a small  sauce pot and enough water to just cover the potatoes.  Salt the water heavily and bring the water up to a low simmer.  Simmer the potatoes until fork tender, about 15 minutes and then remove from the water.  Let potatoes dry on a wire rack before slicing them in ¼” rounds.  Set aside.

Place chicken stock in a small sauce pot and set over medium heat.  Blanch peas in stock until tender then strain, reserving the stock.  Add the peas, half the of the basil and mint and 1 clove of minced garlic to a food processor.  With the motor running add  stock gradually until  smooth.  Add in butter and process until melted.  

Add shallots and garlic to a pan with teaspoon of olive oil and set over medium heat.  Cook shallots and garlic until garlic has begun to brown and shallots are translucent.  Add in white wine vinegar and reduce.  Once vinegar, garlic and shallots  have reduced to a thin syrup remove pan from heat.  Add lemon juice, honey, and reduced shallots and garlic to a blender.  With the motor running, gradually drizzle in olive oil to emulsify.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.  

Place a saute pan over medium heat and add 2 tbsp vegetable oil.  Place potatoes flesh side down in pan.  Cook 2-3 minutes until brown, then flip.  Cook additional 2-3 minutes on opposite side before removing potatoes from pan with a slotted spoon and draining on a paper towel.

Return pan to medium high heat and add reserved vegetable oil.  Season Sole fillets with salt and pepper.  When the pan and oil are very hot, add the sole fillets.  Cook 4-5 minutes before flipping and cooking an additional 4-5 minutes.  

Toss shredded carrot and cucumber along with reserved basil and mint in vinaigrette.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Plate pea green puree with potatoes, serve Sole over potatoes and top with salad.

Striped Bass with Corn & White Bean Succotash

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Prep Time:  20 min Cook Time:  15 min  Serves:  2

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This is a perfect dinner for a warm summer night when you want something savory and fulfilling but not too heavy.  Prep in the kitchen is simple and quick, so you don't need to spend an hour over a hot stove.  Everything in this dish is fresh and seasonal, ensuring bright and vibrant flavors. Pair this with a light white wine, a wheat beer, or a brisk cocktail like a Moscow mule or mint julep.  

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Light, fresh, and perfect for summer

ingredients:

• 2 half pound striped bass fillets (skin off)
• 1/2 cup fresh yellow sweet corn 
• 1/2 cup fresh English green peas
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup great northern beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp chives
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1/4 cup thyme
• 1/2 lemon (zested and juiced)
• 1/2 tbs garlic (finely chopped)
• 1/2 tbs shallots (finely chopped)
• 4 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 tbs butter
• 1/4 vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Remove fish from the fridge and season both sides liberally with salt and pepper. Set aside on a small plate.  Seasoning and allowing the fish to come up to room temperature before you cook it will ensure a good sear and proper texture.  Add half the vegetable oil to a large saute pan over med-high heat.  When the oil shimmers, gently place the fish into the pan and immediately place in the oven for five minutes.  After the five minutes flip the fish and place back over medium heat, adding the butter to the pan and basting the fish until the top is crispy and brown.  Remove fish from the pan and let rest to the side tented in a piece of aluminum foil.  Pour off any used oil and return pan to medium heat adding the remaining reserved vegetable oil.  Add garlic and shallots to the pan, saute until fragrant  and then add the corn. Once the corn has started to cook add the peas and then the beans, tossing occasionally.  Finally add the spinach, tossing until it just starts to wilt.  Season with salt and pepper and lemon zest and plate the corn mixture, positioning your fish atop the succotash and reserving the pan for one final step.  Return the pan to medium heat, pour in vegetable stock and lemon juice and stir with a wooden spoon to lift the flavors off the pan.  Simmer lightly.  Toss in butter and herb mixture and lower heat, stirring sauce until thickened.  Spoon sauce lightly over fish and serve.  

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