I had made a version of this dish a while back but the pictures didn't turn out that great so I thought I would make another version adding a few extra elements. Lots of flavors going on in this dish but it all really works well together. A lot of times dishes come together for me by prepping different items, for instance: last week I had dried some cooked forbidden rice ( for puffing ), made candied kumquats, and had some toasted garlic on hand. Having prepared ingredients that can keep for an extended period of time helps bring a dish together a lot quicker at home. I bought the whole fish so I made fish stock from the carcass which I turned into the sauce. That is basically the dish with a few added ingredients to bring everything together.
1 3-5 lb whole kona kampachi fillet and portion into 4 oz pieces
Fish Stock
1 carrot
1 celery stock
1 turnip
1 onion
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
1 whole garlic bulb cut in half
1 leek
1 gal of water
Lapsang Veloute
1 tbsp of butter
1 tbsp of flour
3 cups of fish stock
1 tbsp of lapsang souchong tea
salt to taste
ALMOND MISO PASTE
1/2 cup of smooth almond butter
1/4 cup of yellow miso
1/3 cup of warm water
1 tbsp of sambal chile paste
Candied kumquats
8 kumquats sliced thin
1/2 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of water
1 cup of dried cooked forbidden black rice
1/2 cup of chopped green onion
3 tbsp of fried garlic
1 red radish sliced thin
micro arugula
FOR THE FISH STOCK
Fillet the kona and use the body for the fish stock. Cut the collar off the fish and reserve for another use. Take the gills out and discard. Then take the whole fish and rinse well under cold water to rid of any blood ( blood will turn your stock cloudy) The place in a pot with the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and reduce by at least half. The stock should have a rich deep flavor but not overly fishy. If the stock still taste very mild and watery, then reduce a little more until you have a deep flavor profile. Strain out and discard the contents.
FOR THE SAUCE
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the flour to make a roux. Cook for 1 minute and then add a cup of the fish stock and stir well. Let it combine completely and then add the rest of the 2 cups of stock. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for at least 10 minutes and let the sauce thicken until it glazes the back of a spoon. Then add the lapsang souchong tea and steep for 4 minutes. Season with salt and strain out. Keep the sauce warm until ready to use.
FOR THE CANDIED KUMQUATS
Place water, sugar, and kumquats in a small pot. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes and then turn off and cool to room temperature. Set aside for later.
FOR THE PUFFED RICE
A day before cook forbidden rice, cool it and then dehydrate or dry in an oven overnight. Then take frying oil and bring to 350 degrees. In small batches add the dried forbidden rice to the oil. The rice should puff up within 5 seconds, if it doesn't you might need to bring the temperature of the oil to 375. Once puffed and browned slightly strain out on to a paper towel and season with salt. Repeat the process until you have roughly a cup of puffed rice.
FOR THE ALMOND MISO
Place all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Set aside until ready to use.
TO FINISH
Take the kona and season with salt on both side. Heat a non stick pan on medium heat. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan. Place the fish fillet side down in the pan. Cook on the one side for 4 to 5 minutes, if the heat is too hot turn it down to medium low so the fish cooks fairly slow but gets a nice crust on the fish. Meanwhile in a mixing bowl add puffed rice, fried garlic, and chopped green onions and mix well. Place a spoonful of the veloute sauce down on the plate. Flip over your fish and cook for 10 seconds to just finish the cooking. Then take out of the pan. Place on the plate next to the sauce. Then add your puffed rice mixture on top of the fish. Garnish with micro greens, and a few slice of drained candied kumquats. Add a spoonful of almond miso next to the fish and add a slice of radish and greens to finish the dish. Serve and enjoy!
