Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 30 min

　　

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

　　

For sauce

2/3 cup sour cream

　　2 tablespoons water

　　4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 cup finely chopped fresh chives

　　

For fish

6 (5-oz) pieces striped bass fillet with skin

　　1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

　　2 oz onion sprouts or garlic chive sprouts (2 cups)*

　　Accompaniment: Spicy garlic potatoes and zucchini

　　

Make sauce:

Step 1

Blend sour cream, water, juice, salt, and chives in a blender until mixture just turns pale green. Season with pepper.

　　

Prepare fish:

Step 2

Preheat oven to 450°F.

　　

Step 3

Remove any pin bones from fish with tweezers or needle-nose pliers and pat fish dry with paper towels. Score skin in several places with a thin sharp knife to prevent fish from curling (do not cut through flesh) and season fish with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 4

Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear fish, skin sides down, in 2 batches until skin is golden brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes (fish will not be fully cooked). Transfer, skin sides up, to an oiled shallow baking pan.

　　

Step 5

Roast fish, uncovered, in middle of oven until just cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes.

　　

Step 6

Spoon 3 tablespoons sauce onto each of 6 plates and top with potatoes and zucchini. Squeeze a lemon wedge over each fillet, then place fish, skin sides up, over vegetables. Top fish with sprouts.

　　

Step 7

*Available at farmers markets.

　　Cooks' note:

　　Sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.