Make Me Cook

Have you ever eaten food with so much flavor, so much intensity that you think about it long after it is gone. When you speak of it days later your eyes close tightly and you say things like “Mmm-mmm that was soooo good, I could go for some more of that right now!”

Enter Umi Sake House. Formerly a swank hipster place called the Bada Lounge, now re-invented into a sushi bar and sake house. On a recommendation from Culinary Fool who is a fellow Seattlite and food blogger we went there. We took some very special friends of ours who were in from out of town. They had requested sushi and so we thought we would give this Umi place a whirl. We had promised to pick up the tab, which later turned into a wrestling match in the private tatami room for the check and well… we lost. Thank you B&K, you wonderful bastages

We must have ordered one of everything, or at least it felt that way. Everything was AMAZING! I can highly recommend things such as the Tarantula Roll and especially Legend of the Roll. Their Toro Mu-Miso… simply divine. But the thing whose flavor lingered delightfully in my mind was the Chilean Sea Bass. Delicate sea bass in a spicy sweet tomato sauce, with juicy tomato halves and crisp sweet green beans. People… this is what food is about right here. The dish was passed around the table and it was never seen again. It was scarfed up in mere seconds with everyone making those funny food-gasm faces and humming “mmm-mmmm” while chewing. A wonderful time spent with some most honored and loved friends, peppered with amazing food. Can you ask for anything more?

Well… we went back with another friend of ours on Thursday. Of course we ordered the Chilean Sea Bass again. This time I paid special attention to the details… the heat, the sweet and the juicy. And this time there was no wrestling around for the check after dinner… although the wrestling bit is pretty entertaining.

Those of you who live in the Seattle area… go to Umi Sake House. Drop what you are doing and go there now and order this dish. Those of you who live elsewhere… fear not. In paying special attention I somewhat dissected the dish and put together a recipe inspired by the flavors I experienced there. It’s not perfect, but it is exceptionally close. Tonight the dish made it to the table to have it’s picture taken and once we started to dig in we ate it right off the serving plate, it never touched our dinner plates and it didn’t have a chance to get cold.

Umi-Style Chilean Sea Bass
2 8 oz. Sea Bass Filets(Or you can sub Halibut)
10 Green Beans, ends removed and chopped in half
4 Cherry Tomatoes, halved

Spice Rub
1 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
3 teaspoons White Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Spicey Miso Sauce
1 teaspoon Miso Paste
2 teaspoons Tomato Paste
1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/4 cup White Wine
1/4 cup Mirin - Sweet Rice Wine
1/4 cup Chicken Broth

Mix together your spice rub and set aside.

Mix together your Spicy Miso Sauce in a bowl and set it aside.

Get a skillet and put a little oil in it, not alot, just enough so the fish does not stick. Heat the oil over medium-high heat just until it gets hot. Watch it carefully so that it does not smoke. If it starts smoking dump it out and start over, otherwise your dish will taste like burned oil.
Dredge your fishy filets in the spice rub, just so they have a nice coat on each side, it’s not important to have it on the sides, top and bottom is perfect.
CAREFULLY put the fish into the heated oil, you are going to sear it on each side for about 3-4 minutes. We are searing it just long enough that the sugar in the spice rub carmelizes and so the fish stays ultra juicy.

Once the fish is finished searing remove it from the heat and put it on your serving plate. Now carefully pour the sauce into the hot pan, heat it until it starts to bubble. It won’t take long at all maybe 3 minutes. Throw in your green beans and tomatoes, kind of stir those little suckers around for a minute or two, until they are heated. Now take the skillet full of piping hot sauce and carefully pour it over the fish.

You’re done!
From start to finish this should take you about 15-20 minutes to whip together. It’s really quick, healthy and totally impressive once you serve it up.
Now share this with some special people. Spread the love!

Big ups to Umi Sake House for inspiring this dish. This doesn’t mean I’m not ordering it when I go there hehehe