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1
Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
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2
Trim tops of Roma tomatoes with small paring knife, then halve each tomato lengthwise and place halves on a rack on top of a baking sheet.
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3
Slice garlic clove paper thin, and place two slivers on top of each tomato halve. Sprinkle top of each tomato halve with thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until tomatoes just begin to shrivel and you can easily remove the skin. Loosely cover with aluminum foil to stay warm and set aside.
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4
In a medium skillet, sautee corn kernels over moderate heat in 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add asparagus and half the lemon zest to skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and continue cooking for an additional 4 to 5 minutes or asparagus begins to soften. Remove from heat and whisk 1 Tbsp butter into sauce to thicken.
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5
Score skin of each piece of bass two or three times, taking care to avoid cutting into the flesh of the fish itself. Season each piece on both sides with salt and pepper.
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6
Heal 1 Tbsp oil in a cast iron skillet large enough to hold all six pieces of bass without crowding. Sautee bass, skin side down, until skin begins to crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes. Don't worry if the pieces of fish begin to curl off of the pan when you start off, you can gently press the pieces with a fish spatula to crisp the skin evenly.
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7
Reduce heat to medium and add 2 Tbsp butter and two sprigs of thyme to the pan. Using a spoon, continually baste each piece of fish with the butter for 1 minute. Drizzle each piece with a little lemon juice, carefully flip fish and remove from heat.
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8
To plate:
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9
Place asparagus onto plate, then stack one roasted tomato halve and three pieces of bass, skin side up, one on top of the next. Place two roma tomato halves on either side of stack, and spoon corn over tomatoes. Spoon sauce from corn and asparagus over fish and serve immediately.
