Golden Sea Bass, Venetian Style

The preparation of the fish in this manner is usually refereed to as "venetian style" so if below does not make sense, you can Google "venetian sole" and something similar should come up.

The dish is usually prepared with sole or anchovies.
Lately, I like to make it with golden sea bass from "What a Deal Seafood". Alicia will deliver fish right to your door. You can get on her daily fresh fish email by emailing her at Gwhatadeal@aol.com.

Essentially the sauce is pickled onions, or escehebe in Mexican cooking. The fish is breaded and pan fried and let to sit in the sauce for an hour or two.

1. A day ahead, thinly slice up some pane rustica or ciabatta bread and allow to dry on counter, or same day lightly toast it to create stale, hard pieces that can be ground up to make your own breadcrumbs. (or buy your favorite breadcrumbs)
2. Choose the smallest fillets you can at the market.
   
3. Half the fillets down their "seam" so you are working with smaller pieces of fish
4. Mix enough eggs and a little milk together to soak the fish fillets in. (Ratio might be 6 eggs to 1/2 cup milk). I usually do this first, so they have soaked about an hour by the time I am ready to use them.
5. Thinly slice 1 to 2 big white onions. I like the the look of the whole ring in tact.
6. Heat too much olive oil on low and add onions. (I use my All Clad stainless steal pan). Cook on a low heat for at least 30 minutes until onions are super soft. You do not want to brown and crisp them. I think i usually end up cooking them closer to 45 minutes.
7. Add about a cup of white wine vinegar or a combo of white vinegar and wine. (I have made the mistake of adding too much and it turns out awful, so be shy).
8. Add 2 bay leaves, between 6 and 10 whole black peppercorns, 1/2 cup of water and whatever else you think and allow it to simmer for about 30 minutes longer. You prob. can do this uncovered, but i usually partially cover it.
   
9. As Sauce is cooking, soak raisins in warm water, toast the pine nuts, mince the garlic and chop the parsley. I have no idea how much, i do it visually, but it's prob. about 1/2 cup of soaked raisins, 3/4 cup parsley, 5 cloves and 1 cup pine nuts. But then i always have leftovers of those prep ingredients cuz once I start to make it I hold back a bit.
   
10. Once sauce is done, keep it warm while you bread and pan fry the fish (I have used veggie oil, olive oil, and combo of olive oil and butter, all work) About a minute + on each side or until desired shade of golden brown. Put on the platter you are going to serve it on (no need to drain the oil). Scatter the garlic, most of the raisins, some of the parsley, some of the pine nuts on the fish and pour the onion sauce on top. Scatter the remaining raisins, pine nuts, parsley on top. Cover with tinfoil. Let sit for up to an hour. I have let it sit up to 2 hours and it has been great.

Last night, I messed up the proportions a little and I did not have enough sauce for the fish and it was too dry. So I advise erroring on making too much sauce and then you can hold back as desired.