Striped Sea Bass With Fava Beans

Don't know what to cook for your next summer party? Party planner to the stars, Colin Cowie visits The Early Show to offer three menu options.

Click on the red links to get the other menu options and recipes.
Option 1 and

Check out Menu Option No. 2: Salt Crusted Wild Striped Bass with Garlic Aioli; New Potato; and Braised Fennel and Fava Beans.

The following are the recipes:

Salt Crusted Wild Striped Sea Bass with Garlic Aioli and Fava Beans

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Fava beans, outer skins removed
1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Greens (leaves) of 6 medium fennel bulbs (reserved from braised fennel)
1 8-pound wild striped bass – cleaned, gutted and scaled
4 pounds kosher salt
12 large egg whites
2 lemons cut into wedges
Garlic aioli

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the beans and cook for 1 minute. Drain and remove hard shells. Toss with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil; season to taste with salt and pepper, set aside.
3. Place a third of the fennel leaves inside the cavity of the fish.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the salt and egg whites with 3/4 cup of water. Stir until a compact dough is formed; it should be the consistency of a sand castle so it can be molded. If the dough is runny, add salt as needed; if too thick, add water
5. Coat the fish with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Take a third of the dough and spread it evenly, patting it down by hand, onto a baking sheet large enough to hold the fish. Form a depression to fit the size and shape of the fish. Lay a third of the fennel greens on top. Place the fish on the dough bed and cover it with the remaining greens. Spread the balance of the dough on top of the fish to blanket it entirely. Mold and press the dough to fit the shape of the fish snugly
6. Bake the fish for 1 hour (10-12 minutes per pound)
7. Remove the fish from the oven. Crack the crust around the sides with a small hammer or the handle of a large kitchen knife, and lift the top using the blade of the knife. Discard the crust. Remove the fennel leaves and discard. Some of the fish's skin will come off with the crust; clean the rest of the skin and excess salt by gently scraping with the side of a knife, a serving spoon or a spatula. Garnish the fish with lemon wedges and serve with braised fennel and garlic aioli on the side.

Ingredients
3 medium fennel bulbs (tops removed, out layer removed, cut lengthwise into 6 wedges each)
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
2 bay leaves
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon course sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. 
   
2. Preheat the oven to 350
3. Chop enough of the reserved fennel greens to yield 1-2 tablespoons, for garnish. Use the remaining greens for the fish.
4. Heat the oil over medium flame in an ovenproof sauté pan or shallow braising pan large enough to hold all of the fennel. Add the fennel and the onion, and sauté for approximately 5 minutes or until lightly brown. Add the garlic, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and place in the oven for 40-50 minutes, until the fennel is tender.
5. To serve, arrange the fennel on a platter, pour the remaining liquid on top, and garnish with the chopped fennel greens.

New Potato
1 small Yukon gold potato – peeled and quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method:

1. Boil the potato in salted water until tender, about 20 minutes, the pass it through a food mill.
2. Add the potato, garlic, mustard, egg yolk, salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor and process until well mixed. Continue to process the mixture while adding the olive oil in a slow stream until it attains a mayonnaise-like consistency. Add the lemon juice, mix well, transfer to a serving bowl and serve.