Pan-Roasted Striped Bass With Clams, Fennel, And Ramps

Ingredients (Serves 4)

4 6-oz pieces of Striped Bass
(skin removed)

2 bulbs of fennel
(cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices)

1 dozen littleneck clams (cleaned and rinsed)

1/2 c white wine

1/4 c ramps (cleaned and sliced thin)

1 clove of garlic (sliced thin)

1/2 shallot (sliced thin)

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp fresh parsley
(washed and chopped)

1 Tbsp fresh tarragon
(washed and chopped)

1 Tbsp fresh chives
(washed and chopped)

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 1/2 oz butter

Season to your liking with kosher salt

Directions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay the sliced fennel on a sheet tray, drizzle with an ounce of olive oil, and cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over a high flame while you season the flesh of your striped bass. When the pan is hot and the fish is seasoned, add two ounces of olive oil to the pan and sear the fish until you have a nice golden-brown crust.

Now remove the fish from the pan. Add the garlic, shallots, clams, and half-ounce of butter to the pan. Sauté until the garlic and shallots are slightly toasted. Now deglaze the pan with the white wine and seasoning, return the fish to the pan, seared side up. Cover the sauté pan with its lid and cook at 375 for five minutes. At five minutes, put the fennel and the ramps in the sauté pan with the rest of the dish, cover with the lid, and cook at 375 for another eight minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and return to the stove top over medium heat. Add in the butter and lemon juice, season accordingly and stir in the butter until you’ve created a nice buttery pan sauce. Finish the dish with the chopped herbs. Enjoy!