Difficulty: Expert
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Sea Bass:

1 cup miso paste
1 cup water
2 ounces honey
1 tablespoon lime juice
4 (8-ounce) sea bass fillets

Cheese Tortita:

3 ounces mashed potatoes
8 ounces ricotta
2 ounces butter, softened
3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and pepper
2 1/2 ounces flour
3 ounces clarified butter

Artichoke Stew:

4 tablespoons olive oil
16 fresh artichoke hearts, sliced lengthwise
4 carrots, sliced lengthwise
10 shallots, peeled and julienned
2 bay leaves
1 sprig thyme
1 Hoja Santa pepperleaf, chiffonaded (substitute 1 teaspoon fennel fronds or seeds and 5 black peppercorns, ground and mashed), plus 1 Hoja Santa pepperleaf, chiffonaded (substitute the leaves from 1 sprig tarragon), for garnish
1/2 ounce white wine
2 ounce water
1 ounce heavy cream
1 ounce butter
1/2 ounce tequila
Salt and pepper

Garnish:

4 dried corn leaves
4 fried tomato skins
4 miniature corn

Instructions:

1. Mix the miso paste with the water and add the honey and lime juice. Marinate the fish in the mixture for 12 hours, in the refrigerator.
   
2. About an hour before cooking the fish, make the tortitas. In a large mixing bowl, and combine the potato, ricotta, softened butter, egg yolks, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
   
3. Slowly add the flour, 1 spoonful at a time, while mixing all of the ingredients until a dough is formed.
   
4. Roll the dough out flat, and cut out circles using a 4-inch round cookie cutter.
   
5. When you are ready to saute, heat a skillet and saute the circles some clarified butter until golden brown.
   
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
   
7. In a large pan heat the olive oil and saute the artichoke, carrots, shallots, bay leaves, thyme, and the pepperleaf. When tender, flambe with the tequila. Then add the white wine and cover with water. Simmer slowly until vegetables are almost cooked, about 15 minutes.
   
8. Add the fish into the pot on top of the artichokes, cover, and cook for 10 minutes in the oven. Once the fish has been cooked, drain the juice from the pan, into a small saucepan, and reduce by half. Keep the fish and vegetables warm. Add the cream to the reduced sauce, and reduce again until the mixture thickly coats the back of a spoon. Add the butter at the end.
   
9. To serve, place 1/4 of the pepperleaf chiffonade on the bottom of a plate. Add the artichoke stew in the center of a platter, add the fish on top, place a tortita on the side, and add the sauce around the plate. Garnish with the corn leaves, fried tomato skins, and miniature corn.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. Fine Living has not tested this recipe in the proportions indicated and therefore cannot make any representation as to the results.