Orange Stripers

This dish, which sounds harder than it is, is my wife’s favorite dish. We make it with striped and hybrid striped bass. The fillets need to be between ½- and ¾-inch thick. Two keys to the recipe: when cleaning the fish, remove all traces of red meat; then pan-searing the floured fish until crispy but not completely done in the middle. They will finish cooking while sitting in a 200-degree oven on a rack while sauce is being prepared. This recipe will feed four.

Ingredients

• 8 fillets of fish, ½- to 3/4-inch thick and cut in half (size of a deck of cards)
• 1 cup flour seasoned with 1 Tbs black pepper, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ stick butter, ¼-cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 cup orange juice (bottled but not from concentrate).
• 3 ounces Gran Marnier, Cointreau or Triple Sec.
• 1 lb. penne pasta cooked per instructions and drained.
• Grated Parmesan, if desired

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees.

Prepare fillets by cutting to a size similar to a deck of playing cards. Pat dry and dredge through seasoned flour. Heat butter and oil in a stick-proof 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Start cooking fillets in skillet, four pieces at a time if necessary. Cook two minutes on each side. Remove and place on a grill-rack (not a pan) and put in pre-heated oven. Once all fish have been cooked and in oven, turn heat under skillet up to high. Be sure at least 2 Tbs of oil/butter remains and if not add enough butter to provide that amount. Add the orange juice, liquor and garlic and stirring constantly cook until it starts to boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer until it reduces to a syrup-like consistency (about five minutes). Pour ¾ of the sauce into a bowl to serve. Leave the rest in the skillet and over medium high heat, add the cooked pasta and toss it in the sauce for a minute.

Place a serving of pasta on each plate, and add two fillets, presenting with the fillets about half on and off the pasta. Drizzle fish and pasta with the orange sauce and serve. Add grated cheese if desired.

*As a side note, and if desired, while the fish is cooking, you can add 3 or 4 large or jumbo shrimp per person, dredged in the flour, to the pan. Put them in the oven, too, until sauce is done. You will not be sorry.