Pan-Seared Loup de Mer...Pan-Seared Loup de Mer with Artichoke Barigoule and Saffron-Citrus Nage

Crisp-skinned Mediterranean sea bass fillets perched atop glazed baby artichokes, accented with a velvety saffron and Meyer lemon nage, finished with dehydrated olive soil and fresh samphire.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Steep the saffron threads in 2 tablespoons of warm fish fumet for 15 minutes to fully release the color and aroma.

2. 02

   Prepare the barigoule: Heat 15 ml of olive oil in a wide sauté pan over medium-low heat. Sweat the shallots and crushed garlic until translucent without coloring. Add the halved trimmed artichokes and sauté for 2 minutes.

3. 03

   Deglaze the artichoke pan with the white wine, reducing by half. Add the remaining fish fumet, cover with a parchment cartouche, and braise on low heat for 15 minutes until artichokes are fork-tender. Remove the artichokes and reserve warm.

4. 04

   Strain the braising liquid into a clean saucepan, combine with the bloomed saffron fumet, and reduce over medium heat to approximately 100 ml. Remove from heat and vigorously whisk in the cold diced butter and Meyer lemon juice to create an emulsified, frothy nage. Season lightly with fine sea salt.

5. 05

   Score the skin of the Loup de Mer fillets lightly at 5mm intervals using a razor-sharp knife to prevent curling. Thoroughly pat dry with paper towels and season with sea salt.

6. 06

   Heat the remaining 30 ml of olive oil in a heavy stainless steel or cast-iron skillet over high heat until shimmering. Place the fillets skin-side down, gently pressing with a fish spatula for the first 30 seconds to ensure total skin contact. Cook over medium-high heat until the skin is golden and glass-crisp, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.

7. 07

   Flip the fish, immediately remove the pan from the heat, and allow the residual warmth to gently finish cooking the flesh for 60 to 90 seconds until just opaque.

8. 08

   To plate, aerate the saffron nage with an immersion blender to form a light foam. Arrange the glazed artichokes and blanched samphire in shallow warmed bowls. Spoon the golden saffron nage around the vegetables.

9. 09

   Gently rest a fillet atop the artichokes, skin-side up. Dust the plate perimeter with dehydrated Kalamata olive soil, sprinkle sea salt over the crispy skin, and garnish with wild fennel fronds and Meyer lemon zest.