Cooking School Tutorial: Chef Desi Szonntagh's Chilean Seabass with Vegetable Ragout in Broth

PLEASE NOTE: This page contains step-by step photo directions for making this wonderful healthy gourmet recipe. Since there are so many graphics, it may take a bit longer to load for slower modems.

Recipe Notes:
Those on a strictly low carb diet (or those too lazy to make it) can skip the cannelli beans and mushrooms. Although the recipe will lose a bit of its meaty complexity, it's still delicious. Otherwise the beans and portobellos add a wonderful texture, flavor and nutritional boost to this recipe. You can also skip the basil oil garnish, but why not make some? Not only will it give this recipe that extra "gourmet" touch. It will keep in your refrigerator for about 2 weeks and can be used for sautéeing or in salad dressings, sauces and marinades.

While our photos show Chef Desi cooking one dinner, you could easily cook two (or even 4 or 6) portions at the same time, providing you have a large enough oven proof skillet.

Marinade: 1-2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1/3 cup olive oil 2-3 teaspoons canola oil 2 filets, about 6 oz. each, Chilean Seabass 3-4 cloves peeled garlic Vegetable Ragout 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 1/2 cups red onion, thinly sliced 2 fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped 1/3 cup roasted red or yellow bell peppers, sliced into strips 1/2 cup fresh fennel, thinly sliced 1/3 cup leeks (white bulb part only) sliced into thin strips 1/2 cup cannellini beans with mushrooms (click for recipe) 3/4 teaspoon minced garlic 1 cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon fresh basil chicken stock Garnish (optional) a few drops of basil oil (click for recipe) microgreens

Serves 2 From the second we walked into Chef Desi's kitchen, the aroma told Mitch and I that we were someplace special and good things were ahead. If you get all your ingredients for this recipe in place, like chef Desi (photo 1), this dish goes together amazingly fast, with fish and vegetable ragout being perfectly cooked at the same time. 1. Instructions for this recipe: Preheat oven to 350°F. Thinly slice the white part of the fennel bulb (you can use the leafy top for a garnish or save for another purpose), and cut the well-washed white portion of the leek into thin strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. Heat chicken stock. Heat an oven-proof skillet over very high heat. Add a dash of Canola oil and heat until it starts to smoke. Put the fish filets into the pan and cook to brown or caramelize the fish, about 2-3 minutes per side. Chef Desi explained that since Chilean Sea Bass is high in healthy fish oil content, the caramelizing step will give your fish a nice nutty flavor. You're looking for a nice light brown color on the fish (photo 2). Place the peeled garlic cloves in the hot pan and immediately take the fish in the oven-proof skillet off the stove and place in preheated oven. Roast until fish is cooked -- about 7-10 minutes. You'll be able to tell because the flesh of the Seabass will just start to separate into layers (photo 3). 2. 3. While fish is roasting, prepare vegetable ragout. In another skillet, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil. Add red onions and sauté for a minute (photo 4) or so before adding the fennel garlic, leeks, tomato and roasted pepper (photo 5). Add a cup of white wine, the cannelli beans and portobellos, season with salt and pepper and cook vegetables until wine is reduced by half. Add a cup of chicken stock. Stir to mix and strain off broth into another small sauté pan (photo 6). Reserve vegetables and keep warm. Stir fresh basil into the vegetable mixture. 4. 5. 6. Cook stock over high heat until it is a reduced down to a glaze. You're going to cook it until it almost gone. Chef Desi says there is a perfect moment when the stock has reduced to the perfect degree -- it turns into a caramel brown thick syrup. At this point, immediately pour the reduced stock glaze over the (by now) fully cooked fish filets (photo 8). 7. 8. Mound a pile vegetable ragout in the center of a large shallow bowl. Top with glazed fish filet. Pour hot chicken stock into the bowl (photo 9). Garnish with microgreens and dot a few tiny drops of bright green basil oil into the chicken broth, as in the finished photo at the top of the page. 9.