Pan-Seared Chilean Sea Bass...Pan-Seared Chilean Sea Bass in Shiso-Yuzu Dashi Emulsion

An elegant, Michelin-caliber composition featuring crispy-skinned Chilean sea bass, charred baby bok choy, a velvety yuzu-butter dashi emulsion, and a vibrant scallion-shiso herb oil.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the Scallion-Shiso Oil: Blanch the scallion greens and shiso leaves in boiling water for 10 seconds, then immediately shock them in ice water. Squeeze out all excess moisture with a paper towel. Blend the greens with 0.5 cup of canola oil on high speed for 2 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter to yield a vibrant, translucent green oil.

2. 02

   Prepare the Sea Bass: Pat the skin of the Chilean sea bass completely dry with paper towels. Lightly score the skin in a crosshatch pattern and season both sides generously with sea salt and finely ground white pepper.

3. 03

   Char the Bok Choy: Heat the toasted sesame oil in a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Place the halved baby bok choy cut-side down and sear for 2 minutes until deeply charred. Turn and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, season with a pinch of sea salt, and set aside warm.

4. 04

   Sear the Fish: Heat the grapeseed oil in a stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the sea bass fillets skin-side down, pressing gently with a spatula for 30 seconds to prevent curling. Lower heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes until the skin is incredibly crisp. Carefully flip the fish and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until the flesh is just cooked through. Transfer to a warm plate to rest.

5. 05

   Make the Shiso-Yuzu Emulsion: In a small saucepan, combine the kombu dashi, mirin, and white soy sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce by one-third. Reduce the heat to low, and vigorously whisk in the cold, cubed butter one piece at a time to create a glossy, stable emulsion. Remove from heat and stir in the fresh yuzu juice.

6. 06

   Assemble and Plate: Place two halves of charred bok choy in the center of two shallow bowls. Rest a sea bass fillet, skin-side up, on top of the bok choy. Pour the warm yuzu-dashi emulsion around the base of the dish. Artfully split the dashi emulsion with drops of the bright green scallion-shiso oil. Garnish the fish with microgreens and edible shiso flowers before serving immediately.