Recipe: Black bass with green tea tempura

Total time: 2 hours

Servings: 6

Note: Striped bass may be substituted for the black bass. Elderflower syrup is available at specialty markets. Green tea powder can be found at Asian and specialty markets.

Tempura batter

1 egg

1 cup club soda

1 cup quick-mixing flour, such as Wondra

Salt

1. Combine the egg, club soda and flour and whisk just until incorporated (do not over-mix). Season with salt to taste. Store the tempura batter in the refrigerator until cold and ready to use.

Sauce

1 large red bell pepper (about 1/2 pound), stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped

2 long green chiles (about 1/4 pound), stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

3 cloves garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

1/3 cup honey

Juice of 1 1/2 limes

1 cup cubed fresh pineapple

1 (1-inch) piece ginger root, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup elderflower syrup

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 tablespoon salt

1. Combine the pepper, chiles, sugar, white vinegar, garlic and fish sauce in a blender until minced but not puréed. Add the honey and lime juice. Mix well. Add the pineapple, ginger, elderflower syrup, red wine vinegar and salt. Purée until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing on the ingredients with the back of a spoon, into a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to about 2 cups, about 25 minutes. Keep warm.

Assembly

Oil, for frying

6 filets black sea bass, about 5 ounces, skin removed

Fleur de sel

White pepper

6 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons thinly sliced ginger root (in matchsticks)

Matcha (green tea powder), for garnish

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat 1/2 cup of oil in a 10-inch skillet to 350 degrees. Season the filets with fleur de sel and white pepper to taste. Dip one side of each filet in the tempura batter. Working in 2 batches, fry the fish tempura-side down until golden brown, 2 minutes. Remove to a baking sheet and place tempura-side up. Fry the second batch, adding more oil if needed, and place on the baking sheet. Bake until the center of the fish is opaque, about 3 minutes.

2. To serve, sprinkle the pine nuts and ginger on each of 6 plates. Set the filets on top, then ladle the sauce around the fish and sprinkle with green tea powder.

Each serving: 526 calories; 471 mg. sodium; 155 mg. cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 60 grams carbohydrates; 33 grams protein; 2 grams fiber.