Pan-Seared Sea Bass with...Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Lobster Pipián Verde and Heirloom Masa Tetela

An elegant contemporary Mexican masterpiece combining crispy-skinned wild sea bass, a rich and velvety pumpkin seed and lobster broth reduction, accompanied by a delicate goat-cheese stuffed corn tetela.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   To make the tetelas, mix the masa harina with a pinch of fine sea salt and approximately 3/4 cup of warm water, kneading until a smooth, playdough-like consistency forms. Divide into 4 equal balls, press flat into thin tortillas using a tortilla press lined with plastic, place a small dollop of goat cheese in the center, fold three sides inward to form a triangle, and cook on a hot dry comal for 2 minutes per side until puffed and cooked through. Keep warm.

2. 02

   For the pipián, toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until puffed and fragrant, being careful not to burn them. Set aside to cool.

3. 03

   Char the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and serrano pepper on the comal or under a broiler until blistered and blackened in spots. Peel the garlic cloves once cooled.

4. 04

   In a high-powered blender, combine the toasted pumpkin seeds, charred tomatillos, onion, garlic, serrano, blanched cilantro, and epazote. Pour in the warm lobster stock and blend on high speed for 3 minutes until completely smooth and emulsified.

5. 05

   Pour the pipián mixture into a clean saucepan and simmer gently over low heat for 10-12 minutes to concentrate the flavors. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter to enrich the sauce, and season with sea salt to taste. Keep warm.

6. 06

   Score the skin of the sea bass fillets delicately. Pat the skin extremely dry with paper towels and season both sides with fine sea salt. Heat the olive oil and remaining butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Place the fish skin-side down, pressing gently with a spatula for 30 seconds to prevent curling. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the skin is incredibly crisp, then flip and kiss the flesh side for 1 minute. Drain on paper towels.

7. 07

   To plate, spoon a vibrant pool of the warm lobster pipián verde onto the center of each shallow bowl. Place a warm goat cheese tetela slightly off-center, and nestle the crispy-skinned sea bass on top of the sauce. Garnish elegantly with microcoriander, edible marigold petals, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.