Butter-Poached Bass with Grapefruit

Name: Butter-Poached Bass with Grapefruit
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: fish
Ingredients: Olive oil (1 tablespoon, extra-virgin); Shallots (1 small, thinly sliced); Kosher salt (½ teaspoon); Olive oil (4 tablespoons, extra-virgin); Butter (4 tablespoons, unsalted); Smallmouth bass (6-8 ounces, filleted); Parsley (1 teaspoon, minced); Kosher salt (½ teaspoon); Grapefruit (1 wedge)

Servings: 1

I returned home from late-summer fishing at the Deschutes with a smallmouth bass in tote. In this dish, this whitefish is poached in butter and EVOO to deliver a rich fillet, complemented with bittersweet grapefruit, caramelized shallots, and parsley.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, and then add the following:

Olive oil (1 tablespoon, extra-virgin)

Shallots (1 small, thinly sliced)

Kosher salt (½ teaspoon)

Cook the shallots, occasionally stirring, until they are caramelized (about 10 minutes). Afterwards, remove the shallots from the pan to dry. Into the pan, add additional EVOO and butter, bringing to a simmer over medium heat.

Olive oil (4 tablespoons, extra-virgin)

Butter (4 tablespoons, unsalted)

Once at a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the bass. Continuously baste the top of the fish until cooked through (about 5 minutes). Remove the fish from the fat to dry, and reserve ¼ cup of the fat in a ramekin or small sauce cup.

Smallmouth bass (6-8 ounces, filleted)

Garnish the bass with the caramelized shallots, parsley, and salt. Juice a wedge of grapefruit into the reserved fat, and stir to combine. Serve this sauce alongside the bass.

Parsley (1 teaspoon, minced)

Kosher salt (½ teaspoon)

Grapefruit (1 wedge)