Horseradish-crusted Sea Bass with Roast Shiitake Mushrooms and Miso
Golden brown horseradish crust adds sparks to creamy sea bass fillets in this Asian-accented dish. Asian foils include enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, miso paste, and yuza sauce. Chef Harrison, 2003 James Beard “Best Chef Southeast” (sharing the honors with Anne Quatrano, also at Bacchanalia) suggests adding a bit of yuza sauce as a flavor garnish, but gives a substitute in case you can’t find it.
Ingredients
- Water - 1 cup
- Miso Paste - 2 tablespoons
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Sea Bass - Four 6 oz fillets, skin removed
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Horseradish Root - 6 oz, fresh grated
- White Wine Vinegar - 2 tablespoons
- Breadcrumbs - 1/4 cup fresh, toasted
- Pea Shoots - 4
- Enoki Mushrooms - 1 oz
- Shiitake Mushrooms - 4 large, trimmed
- Lemon - 1
- Yuza Sauce* - 3 tablespoons (available in specialty shops, or see below)
Instructions
Immediately remove the pan from the heat, strain through a fine-mesh sieve, and return to the saucepan. Set the pan over very low heat to keep warm while preparing the fish.
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Lightly coat a sheet pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Brush the sea bass fillets with the remaining olive oil and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Combine the horseradish and vinegar. Spread the sea bass fillets with the horseradish mixture and top with a tablespoon of the bread crumbs. Place the sea bass fillets upside down on the prepared sheet pan. Add the shiitake mushrooms to the pan and roast for 5 to 8 minutes, until the fish is mostly opaque but still slightly translucent in the center. Remove from the oven. Remove the shiitake mushrooms from the pan and slice into julienne. Preheat the broiler. Turn the fish right side up with a spatula and heat under the broiler until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
To serve: Place one-fourth of the miso mixture in each of four large bowls. Place a sea bass fillet in the center of each bowl, and top each with a pea shoot, 1/2 tablespoon of enoki mushrooms, and julienned shiitake mushrooms. Squeeze the juice from the lemon over the fillets. Finish with 2 teaspoons of yuza sauce.
* Yuza Sauce replacement
Mix ingredients together and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.
