Roasted Hot or Cold Whole Striped Bass with Fennel

• A 10-pound line-caught striped bass, about 5 1/2 pounds after cleaning, with head and tail removed and reserved to make stock
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 shallots, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 3/4 cup finely sliced fennel tops (stalks with a few leaves)
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup good-quality dry white wine
• 2 cups Fish Stock (made with bass trimmings)
• 1/2 cup Fish Stock
• 4 tablespoons arrowroot
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fennel tops or fresh dill
• Lemon juice
• 1 recipe Tomato Vinaigrette
• For hot fish: a double recipe of Braised Fennel
• For cold fish: Spicy Fennel and Cabbage Slaw, lemon slices

1. If you are serving the fish hot, make the Braised Fennel first and reheat it when you take the fish out of the oven.
2. Preheat the oven to 425F.
3. Rub the fish inside and out with salt and freshly ground pepper.
4. Put the shallots, garlic, and fennel in the cavity and tie string around the fish in 3 places.
5. Put the onion, celery, and carrots in a roasting pan, lay the fish on top, and pour the oil over all.
6. Bake the fish for 15 minutes.
7. Add the wine and stock and continue to cook for 45 minutes more, until the internal temperature of the fish is 165F.
8. Let the fish rest in the pan for 15 minutes.
9. If you are serving the fish hot, transfer it to a platter and cover it loosely with foil to keep it warm.
10. Make the sauce: Strain the pan juices into a saucepan and reserve the vegetables.
11. Rinse out the baking pan with the fish stock and add it to the juices.
12. Bring to a boil and simmer over very low heat for 10 minutes.
13. Combine the arrowroot with 2 tablespoons of water, stir well, and add it to the pot.
14. Whisk constantly as the sauce thickens.
15. Over medium-low heat, stir in the cream and let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes, skimming off any foam.
16. Just before serving, add the chopped fennel tops and taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
17. Surround the fish with braised fennel.
18. Arrange the reserved onion, celery, and carrot on top of the fish and garnish with a few branches of fennel leaves.
19. Peel the skin from the top side of the fish as you serve it.
20. Serve the sauce in a sauceboat.
21. If you are serving the fish cold, transfer the fish to a platter and peel off the skin while it is still warm.
22. Cover loosely and allow the fish to come to room temperature, 3 to 4 hours.
23. Strain the pan juices into a container and reserve for another use.
24. Make the tomato vinaigrette and the fennel slaw.
25. Garnish the platter with branches of fennel leaves and arrange lemon slices down the top of the fish.

linecaught striped bass, salt, shallots, garlic, onion, celery, carrots, extra virgin olive oil, white wine, stock, arrowroot, heavy cream, fennel tops, lemon juice, tomato vinaigrette, fennel, cold fish

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/roasted-hot-or-cold-whole-striped-bass-with-fennel (may not work)