Name: Striped Bass with Heirloom Tomato Scampi
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 4 striped bass fillets (6 ounces each); Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon; 1/2 bunch thyme sprigs; 3 tablespoons Roasted Garlic Oil (page 93); 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 2 shallots, finely diced; 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted in a dry skillet; 4 celery ribs, sliced 1/4 inch thick; 1 tablespoon drained, chopped capers; 1/4 cup dry white wine; 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar; Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon; 3 pounds mixed heirloom tomatoes, cut in wedges; 1 cup tightly packed hand-torn fresh basil leaves

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This one is Italy, pure and simple. Which is precisely what Italian cuisine is all about: Get yourself fresh, pure ingredients in season, plus some fine, real condiments and seasonings, and put it all together without a lot of fuss, and ecco! A simply superb meal, as healthy as they come and as good as eating gets. It's also beautiful on the plate. Note that scampi does not, in fact, mean shrimp, as many people think, but rather refers to the popular lemon, garlic, and oil preparation for shrimp in so many red-sauce Italian joints.

Recipe notes

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