Piperade:
2 white onions
1/4 cup olive oil
2 green bell peppers, seeded, deribbed and thinly sliced crosswise
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
pinch of sugar
Bass Fillets:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 striped bass fillets with skin intact, about 1/4 lb each
To make the piperade, using a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice the onions crosswise as thinly as possible. Separate the slices into rings; you should have about 3 cups rings. In a saute pan over high heat, warm the 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the onions, bell peppers and garlic and saute until the vegetables are soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, the cayenne pepper and sugar; stir until blended, then cover. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until soupy, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the fillets. In a nonstick saute pan over high heat, warm the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle both sides of the bass fillets with salt and white pepper to taste. Place the fillets in the hot pan, skin side down, and cook until the skins are crisp and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the fillets over and continue cooking until opaque throughout when pierced with a knife, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Just before the fillets are ready, taste the piperade and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Spoon the sauce onto the center of a warmed platter or individual plates. Promptly remove the fillets from the saute pan and lay them on top of the sauce. Serve immediately.
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