Californian regional cuisine: yum yum

 This was also made yesterday in class and boy, was it yummy. You have a whole feast on one plate.
You have a Maple-Soy Glazed Fish w/ Avocado, Orange, Fennel, and Avocado Salad, and Black Sesame Rice [under the fish]. I have all 3 recipes for this feast. If you've never been to California [I haven't], they have a wide selection of different cultural cuisine [like many other states]. Are you ready to get started?

 This picture is the cooked maple-soy glazed. Its not completely thicken because when you put it on the fish and put it the broiler, the glaze will thicken there. So, below will be the recipe to the fish and glaze.

Maple Soy Glazed Fish w/ Avocado [serves:2]
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4c dry sherry
1/4 c maple syrup
12 oz white seabass or Halibut [2 portions 6 oz each] or just 1-6 oz white fish
1 oz vegetable oil [for searing the fish]
1/2 ea avocado
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
To Taste salt and pepper

Maple- Soy Glaze
Briskly simmer the vinegar, soy sauce, sherry, and maple in a small saucepan over moderate low. Heat until its reduced to about 1/3 cup [about 20-25 minutes]. Keep warm. You must keep your eye on this glaze or it will burn.

Avocado

Quarter the avocado lengthwise, then pit and peel. Cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick slices, then gently toss with lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

The Fish

Preheat broiler. Season fish with salt and pepper. Sear fish presentation side [the side where the skin is left on the fish] down in a med-high heat with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Line a medium sheet pan with foil. Separate about 1/4 cup of the glaze to use after cooking. Arrange the fillets, skin side down, in 1 layer on the sheet pan. Spoon about 1/3 of the glaze over the fillet, then spread with back of spoon to coat evenly. Apply 1/2 of the reserved glaze and broil the fish for 5-6 inches from the heat without turning for 1 minute. Remove pan from the broiler and coat with another layer of glaze. You can serve this recipe with a side of Orange Fennel Avocado Salad.

Orange Fennel Avocado Salad [serves: 2]

3/4 tbsp white wine vinegar

To Taste salt and pepper

1 oz olive oil

1 ea orange, peeled and sectioned

1/2 ea fennel bulb, sliced thin

1/2 ea avocado, sliced

Whisk together the vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl until salt is dissolved, then add oil. Whisk until well combined. Toss in the orange segments, fennel, and avocado slices in to the bowl and gently combine well.

You want to be careful to make sure the rice doesn't stick to the pot like what I did in the photo.[lol]. The rice used in this recipe is called the Forbidden Rice, which is a black rice from China that was once only served to the Emperor and everyone else was forbidden to eat it. You can also substitute forbidden rice with purple sticky rice [native to Thailand] which is sweeter, sticky and shiny. :)

Black Sesame Rice  [serves: 4]
3/4 c Forbidden rice or purple sticky rice
1 1/2 c chicken stock
To taste salt and pepper
2 tbsp sesame oil

In a 1-1/2-2 quart heavy saucepan, pour in the rice first and then the chicken stock. Bring up to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until tender and most of the water is evaporated [30 minutes].
Remove rice from heat, let stand, covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and then stir gently in sesame oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.