Pan Crispy Striped Bass with Brown Butter, Lump Crab Meat and Shiitake ñ Watercress Salad

Ingredients

6- 6 ounce filets of striped bass, skin-on
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, shells picked
1/4 cup clarified butter
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 pound unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
4 bunches watercress, fleshy stems removed
Salt and white pepper
ROASTED SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS:
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, cleaned
2 tablespoons garlic
1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Instructions

Heat a 14-inch sauté pan to medium-high. Dry the skin side of the filets with a cloth. Generously season both sides of the fish with salt and white pepper. Add the clarified butter to the pan and place 3 of the filets in the pan skin side down. Cook for 3 minutes and gently turn using a fish spatula. Cook an additional 2 minutes and reserve on absorbent cloth. Cook the other filet in the same fashion. Wipe the hot pan out with a dry clean cloth. Add the cold butter to the pan and swirl around. Allow the butter to brown. Carefully add the crabmeat to the pan and use a wooden spoon to gently stir the pan. Add the lemon juice and parsley. Remove from the heat.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the warm mushrooms and their oil with the watercress. Place some of the mixture on a plate. Place the filet of fish skin side up on top of the salad and top with a generous amount of the crabmeat mixture

Yield: 6 servings

ROASTED SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS:
Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

In a large bowl, toss together the mushrooms, garlic, herbs, olive oil and salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.