One Pan Striped Bass with Asparagus Recipe

With striper season in full swing, I figured it was time to talk about one of my favorite aspects of these fish — and that’s eating ’em! Stripers have mild, white fillets that are absolutely delicious. In fact, I have a lot of clients tell me that they like ’em better than halibut. I’m not totally sure I’d go that far, but they’re pretty close.

To get some new ideas on how to cook ’em up, I talked to our man, Scott “The Sporting Chef” Leysath, the world’s leading authority on cooking stuff you catch and shoot (and also co-host of the popular TV show Hunt Fish Cook and he suggested his super easy One Pan Striper with Asparagus recipe.

“This one’s quick, easy, colorful and only requires a big skillet or wok and a handful of fresh ingredients,” he says. “When asparagus isn’t in season, substitute any green vegetable like broccoli, sugar snap peas or green beans. Check out your local Asian market for the best price on fresh vegetables!”

Before we start, a quick word on striper fishing…it’s a good idea to keep only the males — fish in the 4- to 10-pound class — as the big ones are the egg-laden females that are the future of the fishery. You can kill a couple males and not impact the fishery…

One Pan Striper with Asparagus

4 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
12 small red potatoes, quartered
1 red onion, rough chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and rough chopped
12 – 16 fresh asparagus spears, woody parts of stems removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound striper fillets, dark parts removed – cut into 2-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into chunks
salt and pepper

1.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and cook on all sides until lightly browned, about 6 – 8 minutes. Add onion and cook 3 – 4 minutes more.

2.

Add bell pepper, asparagus and garlic and cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Move contents of pan over to one side and add striper pieces. While in the pan, season fish with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook fish until just done, about 4 – 5 minutes. Gently combine fish with vegetables, season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to plates or platter and keep warm. Add lemon juice and wine to the pan and increase heat to high. Stir to remove bits. Reduce liquid to about 2 tablespoons.

3.

Remove pan from heat and immediately whisk in butter pieces until melted. Drizzle butter sauce over fish and vegetables.

Mmmm…doesn’t that sound good? If you’d like to go on a guided striper trip and get some grill fodder, contact yours truly HERE