Shallow-Poached Fish in Leek Broth
Chef Jo's onion-inspired striped bass recipe uses a quick and simple cooking method: shallow-poaching. The delicate dish goes great with soba noodles or rice vermicelli.
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Serves: 4
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced 1/4-inch thick on the diagonal
- 4 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp each sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 4 6-oz boneless, skinless striped bass fillets (or your favorite white fish)
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger root
- 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 lb bok choy, root end removed and thick pieces halved lengthwise through stem
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a large bowl, add leeks and cover with cold water. Rinse well, separating rings, until no dirt remains. Drain through a fine-mesh strainer. (You should have about 3 cups sliced leeks.) Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine lemon zest, salt and pepper. Pat fish fillets dry with paper towel and rub lemon zest mixture into 1 side of each fillet.
- Add leeks, lemon juice, broth and ginger to a large 12-inch skillet and stir to combine. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low or until just barely simmering. Using a thin spatula, gently slide fish fillets, seasoning-side-up, into broth over top of leeks. Cover skillet with lid and gently poach fish for about 10 minutes, until opaque and flesh in center of fillets flake easily with a fork. Using spatula, transfer fish fillets to a shallow dish or plate, cover and keep warm.
- Strain poaching liquid through a fine-mesh strainer. Reserve leeks and set aside. In a bowl, whisk arrowroot into broth until smooth; set aside. Return skillet to stovetop, increase heat to high and add olive oil. Add bok choy and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes or until light golden brown on stems and leaves. Pour broth mixture into skillet. Allow to simmer for about 1 to 2 minutes or until reduced by about half and thickened slightly. Stir leeks back into skillet.
- To serve, divide bok choy into 4 shallow soup bowls. Top each with 1 fish fillet and spoon about 1/4 cup leeks over fish. Pour 1/4 cup broth over top and drizzle with 1/8 tsp sesame oil.
Nutrients per serving (1 shallow-poached fish fillet, 1 cup bok choy, 1/4 cup leeks, 1/4 cup broth): Calories: 291, Total Fat: 8 g, Sat. Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3.5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Omega-3s: 1,530 mg, Omega-6s: 490 mg, Carbs: 19 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 37 g, Sodium: 434 mg, Cholesterol: 136 mg
Nutritional Bonus: Leeks are prized for their detoxifying properties. They contain potassium, folic acid and vitamin C, all of which help rid the body of uric acid. Uric acid, a by-product of metabolizing certain foods including some meats, fish and alcohol, may cause illness if your body produces too much and is unable to remove enough of it.