Flavors of spring

I can't hold back any longer...I need, yes NEED, fried artichokes...the tang, the salt, the crunch, the yielding flesh...I think my fridge maybe harboring a few of those overgrown thistles and more are on the GPS...

..Yes, I will make them tonight! But as much as I would enjoy a meal from this delicacy alone - I could gorge 'til I bristled in verdant shades - pale greenish yellow isn't my color. I'm more a mix n'match gal...

Hmmmm...I watched a cooking show where the guy crisped up the skin on striped bass fillets and then nestled them in a lemony escarole broth...sounds good.

Let's go see what's at the market...

Thankfully, my GPS didn't let me down as it had last week...but there was no striped bass. I could've gone to the fishmonger, but I really didn't want to make yet another stop today.

There was an option though...whole bronzini. It was about the right size and the guy behind the counter said he'd de-scale and gut it for me, so I said: Sure! I'm brave, I'll take a whole fish! (Well, I said the last parts in my head...)

Oh, in case you were wondering if my non-seafood-avor would eat tonight - I picked up some minute steaks too.

And while cooking, my Master Mixologist macerated some (over-the-hill) strawberries in vodka, then muddled them with half a clementine and a splash of dry vermouth and garnished our 'tinis with a slice of the orange...it was waaaaay pretty and rather tasty...but certainly different. Ahhhh.....

Details?
Here goes:

(For the fried artichokes with lemon, see Decisions, Decisions...)

-In a large heavy-bottomed pot, crisp up about a half c applewood smoked bacon in 2 T olive oil. -Remove crispies and into the remaining fat, add a quart of chicken stock, 1 thinly sliced lemon, 5 crushed garlic cloves and the leaves from 6 or so stems of fresh thyme.
-Bring to a boil then add 1 15-oz bag o'chopped fresh escarole, 1 and a half t salt, 1 t freshly ground black pepper and 1 t turbinado sugar. (The lemon pith is bitter and sometimes so is the escarole.)
-While the broth is simmering (for 15 mins), heat 2 T olive oil in a large saute pan on med high.
-Pat dry your fish...inside and out if nec...and decapitate and de-tail fin if you choose...and season with salt and pepper.
-When your oil is smokin, add your fish - skin side down if you have fillets - and do not touch for about 2 to 3 mins...the skin will get crispy and will not stick to the pan if you're patient. (If you're doing a whole fish, repeat on other side, if you're doing fillets move on to the next step!)
-When the skin's crispy, gently place the fish onto the simmering broth - fillets go skin side up and put whole swimmers in with their 'prettiest' side up - and let braise for 1 to 3 mins depending how thick it is.
-Serve it up with a few crispy bacon pieces on top.

That fish was moist and flavorful - but not 'fishy' - and John even dealt with the bones.

I'm so glad I was brave.