When I get elbow room in the kitchen, anything can happen, occasionally including a right-palatable dish.

And so it was on a recent evening in my kitchen.

I had thawed a sizeable chunk of a striped bass filet fetched home from New Jersey’s Great Bay. Din-din was long since past, but I didn’t want to take the chance of losing that beautiful piece of white, flaky fish (scales removed, skin on).

What to do? Baking or frying would have been fine, I thought, but how about steaming? Why not?

Skin side down, I placed the filet in a nine-inch skillet (not iron) with cover, and covered it with half a cup of finely-chopped onion and a handful of crumbled dried hen-of-the-woods mushroom. Then with a few small pats of Blue Bonnet scattered about the top, I poured in three ounces of liquid (50-50 water/wine mix). (Incidentally, in my kitchen the commercial is true: “Everything is better with Blue Bonnet on it.") 

After salting and peppering my creation liberally, I put on the cover and turned the stovetop burner to medium to get things going. Once I had steam, I turned the heat down to simmer and walked away for 45 minutes.

On my return, I burned my finger removing the cover but I was greeted by a beautiful, tasty piece of fish. The onions were well cooked, the mushrooms were soft and chewy, and the white flakes of fish dislodged with a fork were tantalizing.

OK as is, I told myself. Suitable for serving with veggies and a salad. But I was not finished.

With a large metal turner, I removed the filet from the skillet and placed it on a small plate. Then, with the turner, I gouged the fish skin, onion and mushroom pieces, and whatever else was stuck to the bottom of the skillet. That done, I sprinkled in three tablespoons of flour, and more salt and pepper. When the flour was turning pasty, I stirred in another two ounces of wine/water mix and let medium heat make a sauce (gravy) while I stirred it constantly.

When the sauce reached the consistency of my choice (not quite as thick as gravy), I poured it over the filet in a shallow baking dish with top.

After invoking C’s P (cook’s prerogative), I taste-tested my creation on some Keebler Club crackers (the official cracker in my kitchen). I described it in three words: Fan tas tic! I would microwave it the next day and serve it for din-din with the aforementioned veggies and a green salad, or maybe sliced, chilled tomatoes with cottage cheese.

That part of the plan hit a snag. Next morning, when my tummy grumbled, I wondered how my fish dish would taste cold on a Keebler. By this time the sauce had jelled a bit, but was still “spready.” 

Forget the fish dinner. Meet my new chilled appetizer.