Dale Chihuly Exhibition at The Denver Botanic Gardens + FOOD: Chilean Seabass with Flame-Roasted Baby Gold Potatoes

Dale Chihuly's "glass plants" brighten up Denver's Botanic Gardens.

ART
Chihuly Exhibition
at The Denver Botanic Gardens

We are feturing a second* Chihuly show this month in ARTSnFOOD, this exhibition is at The Denver Botanic Gardens. Here Chihuly's organic and often plant-like glass artworks interact perfectly with the horticultural flora of Denver's centrally located public garden!

(*Referencec to July 13, 2014 issue of ARTSnFOOD http://artsnfood.blogspot.com/2014/07/dale-chihulys-exhibition-at-clinton.html)

The finalé is a glass/neon sculpture!

"This is the first major outdoor exhibition in the Rocky Mountain Region by Washington artist Dale Chihuly. It includes 12 outdoor sculptures, including a towering fountain that lights up at night, and two pieces indoors. The sculptures, made of blown glass in strong colors, sometimes echo, sometimes contrast with garden features.

"The intricate forms came in a passel of semi-trucks, and took a team of Chihuly technicians 11 days to install, said Erin Bird, communications manager for the garden." This text by Stephanie Paige Ogburn for KUNC Community radio for Northern Colorado / link http://www.kunc.org/post/chihuly-draws-record-crowds-denver-botanic-gardens

 (Source: All photos © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson)

FOOD
CHILEAN SEABASS
with FLAME-ROASTED
BABY GOLD POTATOES
+ A Tossed Salad
Food notes by Jack A. Atkinson

Recently I have cooked some of the best fish meals I can remember and the main ingredients came via mail-order from Omaha Steaks. 
(Chilean Sea Bass, item # 2326MRA & Flame-Roasted Baby Gold Potatoes, item # 2359MRA - Some communities in the USA have retail stores selling the frozen entrée to carry home with you.)

This company's frozen, wild caught Chilean Sea bass happily sits in your freezer waiting for your desire for a fabulous meal. You do have to thaw the fish in the refrigerator for 24 hours before cooking, so there is some planning ahead, but "Oh!" the tender flavor and texture of this fish will make your head swim.

I recommend you create your salad before you start on the fish, because when the meal is ready, you will want to eat without delay.

When I am ready to prepare the Seabass, I take the thawed fish from the fridge. (In the past if it was not completely thawed I would put it on a metal or a stone surface to sap the rest of the frost out of the fish.) I then remove it from its plastic bag and rinse the fillet gently, but thoroughly, and dry it with several paper towels until the surface is mostly dry (NEVER press too hard, you want to retain the moisture inside fish).

Sprinkle both sides of the fish fillet with salt and pepper or a pre-made steak seasoning which has both S&P plus more seasonings. 

Put a knob of butter in a large skillet and add 1 Tbs of good olive oil. Turn the fire on high. 

When the butter has melted swirl the pan to mix the two oils and place the seasoned fish into the pan. 

Set a timer for 5 minutes. 
(Many timers require you to go past the 10 min. mark to start working, so I set mine on 10 minutes and count down from there.)

After 30 seconds or so, lift the fish with a spatula and tilt the pan to make certain the oil in under all of the fish fillet. After 2 minutes and 30 seconds of cooking time, turn the fish and cook the other side for another 2 minutes - 2 minutes, 30 seconds at the most. Remove the fish to a plate to rest for 30 seconds. 

While the fish is cooking, microwave the Omaha Steaks Flame-Roasted Baby Gold Potatoes for 3 minutes 30 seconds in their packaging - afterwards let them rest for 1 minute.

Cut the fillet down the middle to make two small portions, add several potatoes to each plate and ample tossed and dressed salad.

Pour some white wine, add nice china with sterling silverware and you have a meal worthy of the good conversation surrounding it.

Our fish was moist and perfectly cooked inside, with a crisp crust on the outside. The whole preparation, including the making of the salad takes only about 15 minutes and the meal was indeed memorable.

---------------
Omaha Steak's Published Instructions

Chilean Sea Bass 

Product Information & 

Preparation Instructions:

If you've not had the pleasure of dining on tender, moist Chilean Sea Bass, consider this a stroke of luck! The natural... rich... buttery flavor is sure to amaze and delight you and the fortunate guests with whom you share this superb seafood entree. The large, delicate, moist flakes will seem to melt on your tongue... leaving you wishing for another, and yet another bite of this gourmet delight.

Thaw in refrigerator.

SEAR ROAST: Preheat oven at 300°F. Preheat an oven-proof skillet with a small amount of cooking oil. Carefully place Sea Bass in hot pan. Cook for 6 minutes on first side. Carefully turn over fish then place skillet into preheated oven. Cook for 10 minutes in oven.

PAN SAUTE: Preheat skillet with small amount of cooking oil in pan on high. Place Sea Bass in pan and cook for 6-7 minutes then turn over sea bass and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes.

BROIL: Preheat broiler and position top rack so that the fish will end up 2-3" from the element. Brush Sea Bass with melted butter or olive oil. Broil Sea Bass 7-8 minutes on each side or until opaque throughout. 

GRILL: Preheat grill on high. Remove fillets from packaging and spray with non-stick cooking oil. Reduce heat to medium. Grill fillets, covered, 7-8 minutes per side taking care when flipping and removing from grill, due to the fragile nature of Sea Bass.

(Reference: Omaha Steaks, Seafood by World Port section; seafood fillets, http://www.omahasteaks.com/product/Chilean-Sea-Bass-4-5-oz-02326?ITMSUF=WZD&shoptype=PROMOTION&shopsrc=PRMSeafood+Fillets)

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness through the Arts and Food." ™ All rights reserved for all content. Concept, Original Art, Original Text & "Original or Assigned Photography" are © Copyright 2014 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All photographs were taken and/or used with permission. Artworks © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees