By Mary Swift-Swan

Jack’s Bistro is located in the center of Jack London Square in Oakland, California, adjacent to the Waterfront Plaza Hotel. Almost every table has a view of either the Square or waterway activity. There is a patio for dining outside, weather permitting. Diners are entertained most nights with music from the piano bar. The glowing lights softly reflect the warm wall colors and candlelight glints off table finery in the evening. When we asked Chef Fabrice Foinel to share a signature dish, or a dish that would be excellent for home cooks planning a romantic dinner, his thoughts turned to the sea. For him, the sea is synonymous with romance, and fresh fish is excellent brain food, which adds up to a healthy mind full of romance—an attractive combination.

Good fish is fresh fish. It needs to smell fresh to taste good. When there is fresh, firm-textured, and flavorful Chilean Sea Bass available, Chef Fabrice treats his customers to a dish that is topped with a special sauce that combines the bounty of California and the art of his homeland, the French Basque region where the mountains meet the sea.

Prepare Jasmine rice as a complementary base for the meal. Boil two pots of water, one for rice and the other for artichokes. Gently warm the plates. Trim away any artichoke stem that looks woody. Cook artichokes in enough water so that they float but could be fully submerged. Boil gently until a primary leaf can be pulled away from the base with a gentle tug and the base is fork tender, but not mushy (about 10 min). Drain and let cool. (They can be cooked a day in advance.) When cool enough to touch, pull the edible leaves from the artichoke and set aside. With a spoon, gently clean the fibrous small leaves out of the artichoke bottom or heart. Dice the heart into small pieces. When the artichoke is prepared, it is time to start the entrée.

Turn on the grill (or broiler) to medium high (375). Make sure there are no bones in the sea bass filet. If there are, pull them out with a pair of needle-nose pliers. Rinse and pat each filet dry with a paper towel. Brush the sea bass with olive oil, using a paper towel or pastry brush. Then dust both sides with a combination of salt and pepper to taste. When the grill (or broiler pan) is hot, place the thick fish steaks on the grill for about 10 minutes total. If grilling, turn on each side twice to achieve criss-cross markings. While cooking, prepare the other ingredients for the sauce.

Cut the roma tomatoes, clearing the outer shell (the object is to leave the skin on). The soft center and seeds are not used in this dish. Slice the meaty part of the tomato into narrow strips (julienne).

Prepare one lemon for its juice by pressing down with an open hand and rolling the zesty fruit; then cut it in half. Slice the other lemon into useful serving wedges. Cut the parsley leaves away from one sprig and mince. Break up the other sprig for garnish.

When the rice is ready, prepare a cone of rice on each plate. Place edible artichoke leaves around the cone forming a teepee around the rice. Arrange a fan of remaining leaves, facing up like canoes around the outer plate edge placing 3 to 4 wedges of lemon onto the leaves. When the fish is ready, put it on the open portion of the plate to rest.

The sauce only takes 2-3 minutes to cook. The fish will be perfectly rested at the moment of serving. Start with a basic Meuniere by melting the butter until it is a golden brown. Stop it from cooking any further by adding the diced artichoke hearts and then the capers, tossing to coat them in the butter. Next, add the tomatoes and cook for one minute. Squeeze in the lemon juice and season with a pinch of a mixture of salt and pepper. Finally, add parsley to bind the ingredients and brighten the color.

Give the entire sauce a toss, or gentle stir, then pour evenly over the fish. It is important to serve the dish immediately. Melted unsalted butter is a wonderful complement for the texture and flavor of the fish, rice, and artichokes. Be sure to serve the dish while the butter is still hot so the fish and flavors remain light to the palate. Meuniere has long been a personal favorite for artichokes. Adding artichokes to a sauce for Grilled Sea Bass is a hint of Chef Fabrice’s inventive flare combining the sumptuous style of France with the bounty of his California home. Bon Appetite!!!

Chef Fabrice Foinel is the Executive Chef at Jack’s Bistro and consulting chef at the Durant and Park Plaza Hotels. Fabrice came to the United States 13 years ago, and worked for several years at the Washington Bash in San Francisco. After a short break to refocus, his return to France was sidetracked when the Creative Hospitality Corporation sought him out to help create a fine food Bistro on the Oakland waterfront. Fortunately for all the diners who have had the pleasure of eating at Jack’s, Fabrice was enticed to stay. He has been executive chef at Jack’s for eight and half years.