crispy bass, oxtail "carnitas"

Spent the weekend experimenting with a simple fish soup made from beautiful freshwater bass, ginger, tomatoes, shallot and thai chili--simple, rich and soothing nourishment for a foggy, drizzly weekend. I was simultaneously working on a big batch of pho broth, oxtails and marrow slowly melting into an epic pot of liquid collagen.

This was a little lunch snack that bridged those two efforts. A piece of the bass filet, pan fried until crisp-skinned. Segments of unctuously tender oxtail meat, fried with kale in rendered marrow until crispy and caramelized. Broth from the fish soup reduced and made glossy with a knob of butter. Convergence.