Pan-Seared Chilean Sea Bass...Pan-Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Yuzu-Dashi Consommé and Charred Maitake

Crisp-skinned Chilean sea bass served over caramelized maitake mushrooms and baby bok choy, finished tableside with a delicate, yuzu-infused dashi broth and fragrant emerald scallion oil.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   To make the scallion oil, blanch the scallion tops in heavily salted boiling water for 15 seconds, shock immediately in ice water, and squeeze out all excess moisture. Blend with grapeseed oil on high speed for 3 minutes until smooth and deep green. Strain through a coffee filter set over a fine sieve; discard solids and reserve the vibrant green oil.

2. 02

   Prepare the dashi: Combine the spring water and kombu in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring slowly to 60°C (140°F) over 20 minutes, then remove the kombu. Bring the water just to a gentle simmer, turn off heat, and stir in the katsuobushi. Let steep undisturbed for 6 minutes, then strain gently through cheesecloth without pressing.

3. 03

   Season the strained dashi with white soy sauce, mirin, and fresh yuzu juice. Keep warm over very low heat (do not boil, to preserve the bright aroma).

4. 04

   Score the skin of the Chilean sea bass lightly at 5mm intervals and pat the skin completely dry with paper towels. Season generously with fine sea salt.

5. 05

   Heat 1 tablespoon of neutral oil in a heavy stainless-steel or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Sear maitake clusters until deeply browned and slightly charred at the tips (about 3 minutes). Transfer to a warm plate and season lightly. In the same pan, sear bok choy cut-side down for 90 seconds until blistered; set aside.

6. 06

   In a clean non-stick pan over medium-high heat, add a thin sheen of oil. Place the sea bass skin-side down, gently pressing with a fish spatula for the first 30 seconds to prevent curling. Cook until the skin is golden and shatteringly crisp, about 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and gently baste the flesh side for another 2 to 3 minutes until just cooked through to an internal temperature of 52°C (125°F).

7. 07

   To plate, arrange a charred maitake cluster and halved bok choy in the center of four shallow warmed porcelain bowls. Perch a sea bass fillet atop the vegetables, skin-side up, and finish with flaky sea salt.

8. 08

   Garnish the fish with micro shiso leaves. Table-side, pour the steaming yuzu-dashi consommé into the base of each bowl and split the broth with droplets of the vivid scallion oil.