Name: Pan-Seared Sea Bass with ham hocks and savory red wine sauce
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups (480 ml) beef stock or chicken stock; 4 cups (960 ml) water; Six 6-ounce (170-g) sea bass or grouper fillets, skin on; Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper; 1 cup (100 g) chopped celery; 1 cup (140 g) peeled, chopped carrot; 2 cups (480 ml) hearty red wine; 2 cups (220 g) chopped onions; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns; 2 pounds (910 g) smoked ham hocks, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 4 large cloves garlic, unpeeled; 2 large bay leaves; 3 ounces (85 g) cremini mushrooms, chopped (about 1 cup); 2 whole cloves; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 teaspoons olive oil

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood

By John Ash

Published 2023

About

The idea for this sprang from the desire to make a hearty fish dish that could go nicely with red wine. Any hearty fish could be used here, such as halibut, sea bass, or swordfish. Ask your butcher to cut the ham hocks into pieces.

Ingredients

Savory Red Wine Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups (220 g) chopped onions

Method

To make the sauce, in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot, celery, mushrooms, and garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add the ham hocks, wine, stock, water, bay leaves, cloves, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone about