Sea Bass with Popcorn Ponzu

• Recipe by Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Riffing on genmaicha, a green tea flavored with popped rice, Vongerichten steams fish in a ponzu broth with popcorn and the Asian citrus yuzu (lime juice also works).

Ingredients

1. 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2. 2 tablespoons popping corn
3. 1 quart water
4. 2 tablespoons bonito flakes or 1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce
5. 2 Thai green chiles, halved
6. 2 rosemary sprigs
7. 1 thyme sprig
8. 1 teaspoon allspice berries, crushed
9. 2 tablespoons soy sauce
10. 1 tablespoon fresh yuzu juice
11. 8 large shiitake, stems discarded and caps cut into 1-inch pieces
12. 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
13. 2 tablespoons julienned ginger
14. Four 6-ounce skinless sea bass fillets
15. Salt and freshly ground pepper
16. Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. Add the corn, cover and shake over high heat until the kernels have popped. Add the the water, bonito flakes, chiles, rosemary, thyme and allspice and bring to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Strain the broth into a bowl and add the soy sauce and yuzu juice.
2. Light a grill. For each papillote, layer two 14-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil on a work surface. Fold up the sides of the foil to hold the broth. Divide the shiitake, shallots and ginger among the foil sheets. Season the fish with salt and pepper and set the fillets on the vegetables. Pour about 1 cup of popcorn broth over each fillet. Seal the packets, crimping tightly.
3. Grill the packets over high heat until the broth bubbles vigorously, about 10 minutes. Carefully open each packet. Transfer the fish to shallow bowls and drizzle with olive oil. Spoon the vegetables and broth over the fish and serve.