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PPNVZachHirtseabass

Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Beet Greens and Hibiscus Rice Cake

4 servings

Zach Hirt / Owner and Executive Chef, Nuevo Modern Mexican and Tequila Bar, Cleveland, OH; Photo by Zach Hirt

For the Hibiscus Rice Cake:
    • 1/2 cup The Perfect Purée Sweet Hibiscus, thawed
    • 1 cup sushi rice
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 tsp. salt
Method for the Hibiscus Rice Cake:
1. Combine all ingredients in an aluminum sauce pan with a tight-fitting lid. Place over medium heat. Stir regularly with a wooden spoon until water starts to boil.
2. Lower heat to a simmer and cover the saucepan with aluminum foil then the lid for a very tight fit.
3. After about six to eight minutes, lift the lid slightly to see if the rice is done. If not, give it a little stir, and cover again.
4. Once all of the liquid has been absorbed, remove the rice to a mixing bowl and stir to make sure the Hibiscus Concentrate has been evenly distributed.
5. Spray a plate or cookie sheet with pan release, and scoop (or dump) rice onto it.
6. Pack rice by hand into a rectangle shape, approximately 3-by-6-inches wide and 1-inch thick. Place in refrigerator to cool, preferably overnight.
For the Spicy Orange Sauce:
    • 2 cups The Perfect Purée Mandarin/Tangerine Concentrate, thawed
    • 1 tsp. cayenne
    • 2 1/2 oz. vegetable oil
    • 1 tsp. salt and pepper
Method for the Spicy Orange Sauce:
1. Combine ingredients in a small saucepan, and place over medium heat.
2. Reduce heat by 75 percent, stirring regularly until ingredients are well distributed.
For the Pan Seared Sea Bass with Beet Greens:
    • One bunch beet greens, rinsed and trimmed into 1-inch thick ribbons
    • 4 6-oz portions Chilean Sea Bass, skin on
Method for the Pan Seared Sea Bass with Beet Greens:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a medium sauté pan over high heat.
2. Add 1 Tbsp. oil and heat until the oil just starts to smoke.
3. Season the sea bass with salt and pepper and place into the sauté pan, skin side up.
4. Sear for several minutes, then flip over and place in the oven for 5-10 minutes, depending on thickness.
Assembly:
1. While the fish is cooking in the oven, remove the rice cake from the refrigerator and cut into two equal-sized squares. Fill a large frying pan with oil to a depth of half an inch and heat to 350 degrees (if you don’t have a thermometer, put a couple grains of rice into the oil; when they start bubbling, it’s ready). Gently place rice cakes into the hot oil, and fry for no more than five minutes, carefully, flipping once with tongs. Remove rice cakes from oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
2. Place a medium sauté pan over medium heat, and pour about 1 Tbsp oil into it. Once hot, add the beet greens, sautéing till limp. Season with salt and pepper.
3. To plate, drizzle about 2 Tbsp. Spicy Orange Sauce into the base of a shallow bowl. Place one quarter of the greens into the center of the bowl to make a “nest.” Cut the rice cakes in half along the bias and place one half standing up with cut side exposed. Place the sea bass next to the rice, and finish the plate with a handful of microgreens.