Sea Bass Potage

The recipe I prepared tonight is actually called Sea Bass Chowder but the description says, "this delicious potage redefines chowder". I'm not going to lie that I had to look up the definition of potage and what I found was quite lovely. I use this word because there is something just plain lovely about using a word derived from old French. After reading the definition, I am in love with the idea of growing a potage garden. I am going to conduct further research to find out how the original potage gardens were plotted.

Potage (from Old French pottage; "potted dish") is a category of thick soups, stews, or porridges, in some of which meat and vegetables are boiled together with water until they form into a thick mush. During the Tudor Period, a good many English peasants' diets consisted almost solely of potage.

European cottage gardens often contained a variety of crops grown together. These were called potage gardens by the French, as the harvest from that garden was used to make potage.

This chowder was absolutely delicious! One of my favorite things about the chowder is that it called for no dairy and no salt. This is the first savory recipe I have come across in my cooking journey that does not call for salt. When I noticed this, I immediately wondered if it would need salt table side but it was so flavorful, it didn't require the addition. One of my other favorite parts of the recipe is the sea bass itself. The Seattle Fish Market offered a Chilean Sea Bass today and I believe it is the first time I have ever eaten this fish. Brad and I were both impressed by the buttery creaminess of sea bass. It's a beautiful white color so it has visual appeal as well.

When you read the ingredients below, you may be surprised by the simplicity but let me assure you that although simple, there is nothing plain about the recipe. Fennel and leek served as the base for the flavor and these two ingredients provided a true richness. We give this potage an A+. I would without a doubt, prepare it again.

Ingredients:

12 ounces skinless fresh sea bass or grouper fillets

1 fennel bulb

1 leek

1 Tbsp cooking oil (I used Canola Oil)

1 14 1/2 ounce can chicken borth

8 ounces whole tiny new potatoes, quartered

4 ounces asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 tsp pepper

2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 tsp snipped fresh basil

Rinse fish; pat dry. Cut fish into 1-inch pieces. Set aside. Remove and snip tops from fennel; reserve for garnish. Trim fennel bulbs; cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices. Chop the white and light green parts of the leek. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add fennel slices and leek. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in fish, asparagus, and pepper. Return just to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes more or until fish flakes easily with fork. Stir in tomatoes and basil. Sprinkle individual servings with fennel tops. Makes 4 servings.

This recipe took about 30 minutes from start to finish. I served it immediately with rustic Ciabatta Bread made by our local Grand Central Bakery. All vegetables were organic and I chose locally grown produce for the items that were available. This could not have been a more perfect meal.

A quick side note: Brad and I do our best to only eat sustainable fish. Sea Bass is a difficult one because it is on Monterey Bay Aquarium's list of fish to avoid but there are a few companies that fish bass responsibly. I was told that this particular bass is sustainable so I went ahead with the purchase. Because of the fishing practices that are normally used for bass, we will not be eating this fish often. I plan on writing an entry soon that contains information about choosing sustainable fish. I will ask our resident expert, Dave McCoy of Emerald Water Anglers to help me with the information. For now, I am posting Dave's website and Monterey Aquarium's Seafood Watch website on my list of favorite sites as reference.