Tournament of Champions ™

Deep Fried Whole Branzino with Crispy Ackee Mochi Rice, Bok Choy Two Ways, and Ackee Crab Fat Sauce 

Randomizer: Protein: Whole Branzino | Produce: Bok Choy | Equipment: Handheld Waffle Iron | Style: Fresh and Fried | Wild Card: Canned Ackee

{Jet Tila}: "Fresh and fried. I love it. I have broken down and fried fish literally thousands of times in my career. That is Asian food right there. So I am going to do some type of whole fried fish, then top it with a very light bok choy, apple and onion salad. And then the waffle iron and the ackee are going to find their way into this dish somewhere." 

{Jet Tila}: "I need to make a sauce. I am starting with Asian crab paste, which is supercharged crab bisque. I have never worked with ackee before, so I have got to taste it. There is this definite fermented sulfur flavor. Kind of like that hot, sour, salty, sweet from Asian cuisine." 

{Jet Tila}: "The driver for this sauce is to embrace the funk of the ackee. This ackee crab mother sauce is going to be the final sauce to coat the fried fillet pieces, the dressing for the bok choy crispy salad, and is also going to be used to create a binder to make a rice cake in this waffle maker. I am going to make crispy ackee rice with the iron." 

{Jet Tila}: "I come from the school of: you have got to hit each item on the randomizer. So I am going to use the bok choy two ways. I will slice it into thin strips, chiffonade, and warm some of that for the base of the plate. The sauce goes onto the bok choy stir fry, and for the fresh bok choy salad: green apple and onion, because it is fried and fresh. I make a dressing of ackee crab fat mother sauce with chili crisp, lime juice, and sugar." 

{Jet Tila}: "I need to start with my showstopper, which is my branzino carcass, almost like a little bowl to force everything into the middle. I am not trying to make a perfect waffle-shaped ackee rice cake. I am going for crispiness and doneness. I roll the fillets in that mother sauce, building height and color interest. I want to arrange this so they see bok choy pieces immediately. This fish will wow in its flavor and its textural variety. I love this dish." 

Voiceover: "Before you is deep fried whole branzino accompanied by crispy ackee mochi rice cooked in the handheld waffle maker, and bok choy two ways. The whole branzino was tossed in ackee crab fat sauce. The bok choy was first tossed as a chiffonade in an apple and red onion salad with ackee vinaigrette. From there as a saute, some wilted bok choy."