Pan-fried sea bass, chorizo, miso and doenjang clam sauce with yuzu-crushed potatoes
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
5 out of 5 stars
(1)
Ingredients
- 4 sea bass fillets, skin on (approx. 150-180g each), trimmed, pin-boned and cut in half widthways so you have 8 pieces, patted dry
- 1 tbsp of neutral oil, such as vegetable, grapeseed or canola, plus more for cooking
- 20g of unsalted butter, (Judy uses a French butter)
- 50g of unsalted butter
- 25g of garlic, (approx. 6 cloves), finely chopped
- 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
- 100g of cooking chorizo, casing removed and chopped into 5mm cubes
- 100ml of sake
- 450ml of clam juice, such as Snow's (or you can use fish stock or broth)
- 100ml of chicken stock
- 1 tbsp of doenjang, plus extra to taste
- 1 tbsp of white miso
- 1kg palourde clams, scrubbed, (see note)
- 20g of yuzu juice, plus more to taste
- 600g of large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, (or you can use Charlotte potatoes and leave their skins on)
- 100g of unsalted butter, softened
- 30ml of yuzu juice, plus more to taste
- 30g of chives, finely chopped
- 75g of tempura flour
- 125ml of sparkling water, chilled
- 100g of samphire, woody stems trimmed, washed and patted dry
- neutral oil, for deep-frying
- micro cress, (micro shiso, amaranth, or affilla cress all work well)
- Kizami nori (shredded seaweed)
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Preparation
Step 1
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with enough generously salted water to cover by 5cm. Bring the water to a boil over a high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes (18-22 minutes if using Charlotte potatoes), until tender and a knife slips in with no resistance
Step 2
Meanwhile, start the base for the sauce. Place a wide deep sauté pan with a lid over a medium-high heat. Melt the butter, then add the garlic and shallot and sweat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not coloured. Add the chorizo and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened and the chorizo fat has rendered out
Step 3
Pour in the sake and let it bubble for 30 seconds, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula, then add the clam juice and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the doenjang and miso until fully dissolved, then simmer uncovered for 3-4 minutes to concentrate the flavours slightly
Step 4
Add the clams to the broth, put the lid on and cook over a medium-high heat until the shells just open – about 3-4 minutes. As soon as they open, remove the clams to a warm bowl with a slotted spoon (discard any which still remain closed). Lift out the chorizo and reserve with the clams
Step 5
Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing gently to extract all the flavour. Reduce for 3-4 minutes, then stir in the yuzu juice, taste and adjust with more doenjang for depth or yuzu for brightness. Keep warm
Step 6
Drain the potatoes and return them to the warm pan off the heat. While still hot, crush lightly with a fork to achieve a range of sizes. Fold in the softened butter, then add the yuzu juice and chives. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Cover and keep warm
Step 7
Preheat the oven to 90°C. Heat the oil in a deep pan over a medium-high heat, or preheat a deep-fat fryer to 180°C. Set up a tray lined with kitchen paper for the cooked tempura
Step 8
To make the tempura batter, in a chilled bowl, whisk the tempura flour with enough chilled sparkling water to form a thick, lumpy slurry – keep it slightly lumpy and do not overmix (you may not need all the water)
Step 9
Working in batches, use tongs to dip the samphire sprigs into the batter, shake off the excess, and lower into the hot oil. Fry for 1-2 minutes until pale golden and crisp, then drain on the tray. Keep warm in the oven
Step 10
To cook the sea bass, season both sides with salt. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat until it shimmers, then add the butter. When the butter foams, lay in the fillets skin-side down and press each fillet flat with a fish slice for the first 30 seconds so the skin stays in contact with the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the skin is golden and crisp, then flip, baste with the foaming butter and cook for a further 30-60 seconds until just cooked through. Rest on a warm plate
Step 11
Use a 6cm ring mould to plate the potatoes onto warm plates. Spoon the crushed potatoes into the mould and press gently to fill, then lift the mould straight up to remove. Stack 2 pieces of sea bass on top. Spoon the broth around the potatoes and arrange a few clams (in their shells) and chorizo around the plate. Top the fish with samphire tempura and finish with micro cress and kizami nori. Serve immediately
Step 12
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