SAUTEED STRIPED BASS RECIPES

Steps:

• Sprinkle fillets with pepper and 3/4 teaspoon salt; let stand 20 minutes. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add lemons, cut sides down, and cook until lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Add olive oil, and place fillets, skin sides down, in skillet with lemon. Cook, undisturbed, until sides of skin begin to brown and fish is almost fully opaque, 5 to 7 minutes. When the fillets appear to be approximately 90% cooked through, gently shake skillet. When cooked with patience, the fish will release itself from the pan, allowing you to flip the fillets without sticking. Flip fillets, and cook 1 minute. Transfer fish and lemons to plates. Cut each lemon half into 2 wedges. Wipe skillet clean. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add wine, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and butter. As butter melts, whisk to emulsify mixture. Spoon sauce over fillets. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve with a charred lemon wedge.

Steps:

• Heat a large stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Add fillets to pan, skin side up; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn fillets over; sauté 4 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan; keep warm.
• Add capers to pan; cook 15 seconds, stirring frequently. Add clam juice and lemon juice; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 3 minutes). Remove pan from heat. Add butter; stir with a whisk until butter melts. Stir in parsley. Serve sauce with fish.
• Wine note: Bursting with fruit and minerality, the classic Domaine A et P de Villaine "Bouzeron" 2007 ($23), from a small French town in the Côte Chalonnaise, is an ideal companion to this refreshingly simple wild striped bass. --Alexander Spacher