Oysters then Sea Bass with Fennel, Olives and Roasted Tomatoes

I LOVE oysters! Have never met an oyster I didn't like! Their briny taste and gooey yet firm texture is sublime. I'll never forget my oyster feast in Victoria, B.C., a total of over 65 specimens from all over the world, between two people! Today's modest "feast" were 3 oysters hailing locally from Duxbury, MA.
They were .99 each at Whole Foods. Shucking is a skill better learned first-hand. You just stick a pointy (or oyster knife) into the end to "break the seal" Then you carefully scrape the muscle off on both shells to release the oyster. This afternoon since it was SO COLD out, I decided to only go to one destination. The place I really wanted to go to and get a whole sea bass at: Wulf's Fish Market. Going there would have involved more than I was in the mood for (Harvard Ave. traffic at 4pm). I went there once before and they did the best job, in a quite personable manner, even enthusing the tot.
We have a slurper! Tried twice! I asked him if he liked it (only drank the brine since I am so selfish about these things and he doesn't yet realize it) and he said, "Yeah, Mama! More?"
Fennel, in case you were wondering.
I chopped off the bottom to make it fresh (this sucker was rinsed beforehand, of course) and find the nifty mandoline to be the best way to slice it up quickly. Feel free to use a knife. Please, sharpen it first. We like to keep our knives sharp. This is primarily Alex's duty and I have a feeling it is in his blood, since his great-grandfather was a Brighton butcher (and a dull knife is far more likely to cause injury).

Fennel being sliced thinly on the mandoline. Leave the top on so you get a good grip. It tastes quite like licorice (I can't stand that taste) but once roasted, it's flavor is transformed to something sweet and savory.
Roasted tomatoes should be made with good tomatoes! It is difficult to tell by looking at them but the small ones pack more punch, it seems.
Place tomato halves (I use 3 tomatoes for 1 person & a toddler) in a small bowl that you can cover.
Sprinkle with olive oil, marjoram (dried), sugar, salt, and pepper; put on lid and toss to coat.
Arrange tomatoes cut side up. I lined a pan with Reynold's "nonstick" foil for easy cleanup.
Turn on and roast in the toaster oven at 425 until tender, 20 minutes.
So, onto the bass experiment. Both times I made this, it came out fabulously. But both times I was working with a whole fish. Using a delectable filet was not that difficult, but it was almost too rich and dense. I will definitely make this again with a whole fish, but less likely with a $10. filet. I encountered bones (to be expected) but, lil' guy had a pit in one of his olive parts! Pits inevitably sneak through. Only way to make sure is to do the olive prep yourself! Oh well.





Mediterranean Bass with Fennel and Olives

Serves 1.5

1" filet of Mediterranean bass
olive oil
1 fennel bulb and a sharp knife or a mandoline to slice it thin.
1 lemon and a zester
6-8 kalamata or black olives, pitted and halved (I used chopped mixed olives)
1 Tbsp chopped fennel fronds (the green parts of the bulb that look like dill)
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 450F. Use an iron skillet or wrap a broiling pan with foil.

In a broiler pan, toss sliced fennel with 1 Tbsp olive oil, lemon zest, and salt to taste. Cook in the middle of the oven until fennel just starts to soften and brown, about 5 minutes. (Make sure to check after 4 minutes and toss around using tongs.)

Rinse the fish and dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and place in the broiler pan with the fennel. Pile fennel on top of the fish and drizzle with a little oil.

Turn the oven to broil.

Set the fish under the broiler for a total of 5 minutes. Halfway through, turn the fish over using tongs. Watch the fennel carefully. If it starts to burn, rearrange fennel slices so that they brown on the other side.

Check if the fish is done. It is better to be a bit underdone at this point since it will continue to cook.

Add the olives pan, toss with the fennel and let the fish rest for 5 minutes.

Plate it up! Sprinkle with fennel fronds and serve with good bread, in this case, Trader Joe's Tuscan pane.