Wild-Striped-Bass Tartare With Chocolate 'Ivoire'

Ingredients

For the yuzu gelée:

• 1 ¼ teaspoons powdered gelatin
• 1 cup fish fumet, warmed
• 2 tablespoons yuzu juice or lime juice
• Salt to taste

For the tartare:

• 6 ounces sashimi-grade, skinless wild-striped-bass fillet, finely diced
• 1 ½ tablespoons very finely grated Valrhona Ivoire white chocolate
• 1 tablespoon ”dolce” (sweet) extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Ligurian
• Fleur de sel sea salt to taste

For the shiso tempura:

• 5 tablespoons cake flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Small pinch baking powder
• Safflower oil for deep frying
• 4 shiso leaves, sliced in half

4 appetizer servings

Preparation

1. To make the gelée: Combine gelatin and 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water and set aside. Meanwhile, combine warm fumet and yuzu or lime juice; taste and season as needed with salt. (Bottled yuzu may already contain salt.) Stir in gelatin until it is completely melted. Refrigerate at least 6 hours.
2. For the tartare: Toss bass, white chocolate and olive oil. Season with salt and toss again. Refrigerate.
3. Combine the flour, cornstarch and baking powder. Using a fork, stir in 1/3 cup cold water until all lumps are gone. Let sit for a few minutes, stir again and add more cold water until batter is about the thickness of pancake batter.
4. Heat oil in a small deep pot to 325 degrees. Dip shiso leaves into batter, shake off excess and fry until crisp but not browned. Drain and keep warm.
5. Place 2 tablespoons of gelée on each of 4 small plates. Top each with 1/4 of the tartare and lay 2 tempura leaves on top.

• Yuzu juice can be ordered from Kalustyan’s, (800) 352-3451.