Striped bass with wild mushrooms in browned butter sauce
The MushroomNerds are lucky enough to live in Atlantic Canada in a province called Prince Edward Island.
With hundreds of pristine beaches and many many acres of softwood and hardwood forest, Canada’s smallest province is an ideal location to combine fresh striped bass and wild mushrooms into a culinary delight!.
For this recipe you will need a few fresh ingredients that you will have to work for. It is well worth the effort. Not only will you have the freshest fish and mushrooms for your recipe, but also you will have the satisfaction of spending time in nature and with a bit of luck can have an amazing feast for your efforts.
For bass fillets, I recommend spending a late night on the beach surf casting for bass. Alternatively, a quick mid-day outing to any of the countless channels near the various harbours in PEI will often hold good numbers of striped bass during slack tide. A properly presented flatwing or clouser fly can entice fast action from the large schools of striped bass.
For mushrooms, I recommend looking deep in the mossy spruce forests. You may be surprised by the number of chanterelles to be found in PEI. Or look around where forests meet fields and try to find some of our prized porcini mushrooms.
Ingredients:
For the Baked Striped Bass:
– 2 medium striped bass filets
– Salt and pepper to taste
– 2 tablespoons olive oil
– 1 lemon, thinly sliced
– Fresh parsley sprigs and some seasonal greens, for garnish
For the Wild Mushrooms:
– 1 pound wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced if necessary
– 2 tablespoons butter
– Salt and pepper to taste
– 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
For the Brown Butter Sauce:
– 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
– 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
– Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Prepare the Striped Bass:
Rinse the striped bass under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Season the inside and outside of the bass with salt and pepper.
Rub olive oil over the bass and cover tops of filets with lemon slices.
Bake the Striped Bass:
Place the seasoned bass on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
Cook the Wild Mushrooms:
While the bass is baking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the sliced wild mushrooms to the skillet.
Sauté the mushrooms until they are tender and golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir in chopped parsley. Remove from heat and set aside.
Make the Brown Butter Sauce:
In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
Continue cooking the butter, swirling the pan occasionally, until it turns golden brown and has a nutty aroma, about 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to let it burn.
Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve:
Once the bass is cooked, discard lemon slices and transfer filets to a serving platter.
Spoon the sautéed wild mushrooms over and around the bass.
Drizzle the brown butter sauce over the bass and mushrooms.
Garnish with fresh parsley sprigs and seasonal greens
Serve immediately and enjoy your delicious baked striped bass with wild mushrooms and brown butter!
