Black Cod with Fennel Chowder and Smoked Oyster Panzanella

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon flour 
• 2 small bay leaves 
• 4 fillet filets black with skin
• 0.3 cup celery finely chopped
• 8 ounce bottled clam juice 
• 4 servings kosher salt 
• 0.8 cup fennel bulb fresh
• 2 tablespoons parsley fresh chopped
• 1 tablespoon thyme sprigs fresh chopped
• 0.3 cup leek white green finely chopped ( and pale parts only)
• 4.5 teaspoons juice of lemon fresh divided
• 0.5 teaspoon lemon zest finely grated
• 0.5 cup onion chopped
• 0.3 cup dozens oysters smoked canned minced
• 0.3 cup panko bread crumbs toasted (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 0.3 cup shallots finely chopped
• 5 tablespoons butter unsalted divided
• 0.8 cup whipping cream 
• 0.8 cup milk whole
• 0.8 cup yukon gold potatoes peeled

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• whisk

Directions

1. Melt butter in large saucepanover medium-low heat.
2. Add fennel, potato,onion, and leek. Cover and cook untilvegetables are just tender but not brown,about 8 minutes.
3. Add flour, bay leaves,and thyme; stir 1 minute. Stir in clam juice,cream, and milk. Simmer until chowderthickens slightly and flavors blend, about 10minutes.
4. Mix in lemon peel; season to tastewith salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can bemade 1 day ahead. Cool 30 minutes; coverand refrigerate.
5. Toss celery,shallot, parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice,lemon peel, and smoked oysters in mediumbowl. Season celery-shallot mixture to tastewith salt and pepper.
6. Combine 3 tablespoons butter, thyme,and 3 teaspoons lemon juice in smallsaucepan.
7. Whisk over low heat until buttermelts and sauce simmers; season withcoarse salt and pepper.
8. Remove from heat.Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large nonstickskillet over high heat.
9. Sprinkle fish withcoarse salt and pepper.
10. Add fish, skin sidedown, to skillet. Cook until skin is crispand fish is just opaque in center, drizzlinglemon-butter sauce over, 6 to 7 minutes.
11. Rewarm chowder over low heat;discard bay leaves. Divide chowder among4 shallow bowls.
12. Place fish, skin side down,in center of chowder. Stir panko into celery-shallotmixture; spoon over fish and serve.
13. * Available in the Asian foods section ofsome supermarkets and at Asian markets.