Not only this “Loup de Mer” is known for its plausible and splendid taste but it also offers an enormous number of nutrients and is rich with a whole lot of healthy factors.
Besides just cooking there are some interesting facts about this fish that needs to be readily discussed. Well! Starting from the most distinguished and eminent point that this cosmic fish lives in the rough waters of Mediterranean and Black sea and therefore is well adapted to lumpy and harsh European conditions and is therefore known as the wolf of the sea for its abilities to capture its prey. It is packed with a whole lot of fat and protein essential for growth and muscle making and is therefore a very healthy and yet charming fish.
The way it is prepared hugely varies all across the Europe but here we’ve shown you the best, simple, quick and yet professional procedure to prepare this plausible dish, so called “Loup de Mer” in your home with some common ingredients. This time efficient and effective method only requires some essential ingredients and a little bit of skills to make this thing happen. So, grab the essentials and get prepared to enjoy your next hour eating this Mediterranean bass.
| Skill: Advanced. | Cooking time: 10 minutes. |
| Total time: 1 hour 50 minutes. | Serves: 4 persons |
Table of Contents
Ingredients:
For Loup de Mer:
- Zest (Skin) of two medium lemons, roughly sliced.
- Zest (Skin) of one orange, roughly chopped.
- 4 ounces thyme leaves.
- Kosher salt.
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus a bit more to be used in making paste.
- 2 fresh bass fillets, bones removed and with skin, chopped into 4 portions.
For Beer Blanc:
- 2 shallots, julienned.
- 2 ounces fennel, julienned.
- 3.5 ounces Belgian wheat beer.
- 3.5 ounces champagne vinegar.
- Splash of water or fish stock.
- 1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil.
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes.
- 1 teaspoon olive oil.
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt (Normal salt can also be used as a substitute).
For potato and fennel hash:
- 2 potatoes, chopped into large ½ inch cubes.
- 2 shallots, neatly diced.
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced.
- 1 carrot, finely chopped.
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced.
- 1 bubble fennel, nicely chopped plus some extra for garnishing.
- Juice of lemon.
- Salt.
- 1 tablespoon canola oil.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter.
- ½ cup chicken broth.
Ingredients:
For Loup de Mer:
1. Mixing the Zests:
Well! The first step of making this magnificent “loup de Mer” is to take a large bowl and mix lemon and orange zest in it. Also put the thyme in the bowl and mix them well. Gradually, add the olive oil at times and keep on stirring until the whole mixture gets moist. Remember! You don’t have to make it flow just moist a bit.
2. Preparing the fish:
Rub salt, over the entire fish then move on to the citrus paste and pour it gently on the fish. When it’s done let it sit in the refrigerator. Until all the remaining components gets completed.
For the Beer Blanc:
1. Warming the water:
Start off, by taking a medium-sized pot and fill the pot with ¾ of the water and then place the pot over low-flame. Make sure not to turn the water too hot, you just have to warm it to the touch.
2. Sweating the factors:
Next, take a medium saucepan and sweat shallots, fennels and olive oil in it over medium heat. Keep them on the stove for about 3 minutes or until the shallots are transparent. Pour in just enough olive oil to make sure that they are coated and then add salt; this will prevent them from turning brown.
After about 1 minute add the vinegar and beer and stir them to combine.
3. Simmering the mixture:
Simmer the mixture until it gets reduced to half, heat it for about 5 minutes. Then add a splash of water or fish stock to reduce the heat to low. Add 6 ounces of butter and whisk them one cube at a time. Make sure to completely dissolve the previous cube (Butter) before incorporating another.
4. Straining and Blending:
Follow up by straining the mixture using a fine mesh sieve. Discard the solids and transfer the liquid to a powerful blender. Turn on the blender over high speed and gradually keep on adding the other 2 oz remaining butter. The emulsion will not be stable for long time therefore transfer it to a heat-proof bowl and place it on the top of warm water on the stove to keep it warm.
For the Potato fennel Hash:
- Put the potatoes in a pot and cover them with cold salted water. Next, bring them to a boil and then remove from the heat. Let the potatoes sit in the water until they gets soft, approximately 10 minutes. Drain off the entire water and spread out the potatoes in a single layer to cool them down.
- Sweat the shallots, garlic, carrot, garlic and fennel with the oil in a sauté pan and keep the heat on medium, until they get soft. When completed, add cooled potatoes, chicken broth, butter and pinch of salt. Reduce over medium heat until there is only enough liquid to glaze the vegetables
- Remove from the heat add lemon juice and salt for taste.
For serving:
1. Grilling the fish:
Until now! The beer blanc sauce and potato and fennel hash are completed. The next step is to heat the grill pan to high flame and cook the fish skin-side down for about 3-4 minutes, until it gets about 70% cooked.
Gently turn the fish on the flesh side and cook it for only about a minute or less.
2. Arranging and serving:
Drop some beer blanc sauce on four plates, place some potato and fennel hash in the middle of each plate, you may show your creativity here! Place it how you would like to see. And lastly place your masterwork the magnificent “Loup de Mer” on top. You may also top up the fish with some fennel fronds if wanted.
