Black Bass Head with Linguine

 

The fourth preparation of bass utilized the head of the fish. We blended smoked XO sauce with butter and slathered the split fish head with it. The head was then cooked sous vide for 20 minutes at 52.5°C. When the head was cooked we cooled it down until we were ready to serve it. For the pasta we hydrated some linguine and re-thermed the head in a 52.5°C water bath. When the head was warmed we removed it from the bag and picked the flesh from the head. We discarded the bones and the skin and strained the XO juices over the head meat. We cooked the hydrated linguine for 30 seconds and then combined it with the head meat and XO juices. A squeeze of Meyer lemon and a grating of zest brought the dish together.