Fried Branzino with Ackee Rice

STEP 1: COOK THE MOCHI RICE
Rinse the mochi rice in cold water until it runs clearer; drain. Combine with the water and salt in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce to the lowest heat and cook 15 minutes. Off heat, rest covered 10 minutes. Fluff with a wet wooden spoon and stir through the toasted sesame oil. Spread on a small tray to cool to warm room temperature.

STEP 2: MAKE THE ACKEE CRAB FAT MOTHER SAUCE
Drain the canned ackee very gently in a sieve set over a bowl; the pods are extremely fragile. Reserve about 1/4 cup of ackee for the rice cakes and a small handful as garnish. In a wide saucepan or wok over medium heat, warm the neutral oil. Add the shallot, garlic and ginger and sweat 2-3 minutes until fragrant but not coloured. Add the crab paste and stir 30 seconds until it darkens slightly. Add the majority of the drained ackee, the stock or dashi, fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar and 1 Tbsp of the chili crisp. Bring to a simmer and crush about half the ackee against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon for a textured sauce, not a smooth puree. Simmer gently 5-7 minutes. Off heat, swirl in the remaining 1 Tbsp chili crisp as a finishing oil. This is the cascading mother sauce: reserve 3-4 Tbsp for the rice-cake binder, 1 Tbsp for the wilted bok choy glaze and 2 Tbsp for the slaw vinaigrette base; the remainder coats the fish.

STEP 3: FORM AND COOK THE WAFFLE-IRON ACKEE MOCHI RICE CAKES
In a bowl, fold the cooled mochi rice with 3-4 Tbsp of the reserved mother sauce and the 1/4 cup crushed ackee. The mixture should clump tightly when pressed but not be soupy. Heat the handheld waffle iron over a medium burner (or medium-high if electric) and brush generously with neutral oil. Press a flattened puck of the rice mixture (about 1/2 cup) into the iron, close firmly and cook 4-6 minutes per side, until the crust is mahogany and audibly crisp when tapped. Transfer to a rack without stacking. Repeat to make 2-4 cakes.

STEP 4: BREAK DOWN AND DREDGE THE BRANZINO
Pat the branzino dry inside and out. Using a sharp boning knife, run along both sides of the spine and lift off two fillets, reserving the carcass (head, spine, tail) intact. Pin-bone the fillets and cut each on a sharp bias into two broad pieces. Season the fillets and carcass with the kosher salt and white pepper, then rub the fillets with the light soy sauce and Shaoxing wine. Whisk the cornstarch with the rice flour. Dredge the carcass thoroughly, opening it out like a bowl so every surface is coated. Dredge each fillet piece and shake off the excess.

STEP 5: FRY THE CARCASS AND FILLETS
Heat the frying oil to 350F / 175C. Lower the carcass in first and fry 4-5 minutes, basting the top with hot oil, until the skin is burnished copper and the bones are rigid and crackling; lift to a rack. Bring the oil back to 360F / 182C and fry the fillet pieces in two batches, 2-3 minutes each, until the crust is golden and the flesh is just opaque (130-135F / 55-57C at the thickest point). Drain on a rack and season immediately with a pinch of salt.

STEP 6: WILT THE BOK CHOY (STIR-FRY)
In a wok or wide pan over high heat, warm 1 Tbsp neutral oil with the smashed garlic until aromatic. Add the halved baby bok choy cut-side down and sear 60 seconds; flip, splash with a tablespoon of water and cover 30 seconds. Uncover, add 1 Tbsp reserved mother sauce and toss to glaze. Salt to taste and set aside warm.

STEP 7: BUILD THE FRESH BOK CHOY SLAW
In a large bowl combine the chiffonade bok choy, julienned green apple, julienned Persian cucumber, shaved red onion, torn Thai basil and cilantro leaves. The cucumber, Thai basil and cilantro brighten the slaw with fresh, aromatic top notes. Whisk a vinaigrette from 2 Tbsp reserved mother sauce, 1 tsp chili crisp, 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice, the microplaned lime zest and 1/2 tsp sugar. Dress the slaw within 60 seconds of plating so the leaves stay crisp, then finish with sesame seeds.

STEP 8: PLATE
Place the wilted bok choy at the centre of two warm plates as a green base. Set the crispy fried branzino carcass over it, carcass-as-bowl, mouth pointed away from the diner and opening upward. Toss the fillet pieces in the remaining mother sauce and arrange them rising up out of the carcass-bowl, building height. Heap the fresh slaw generously across the front and side of each plate so it is the first thing the diner sees. Lean a warm rice cake against the carcass, half on plate and half on slaw. Spoon a final ribbon of mother sauce across the rice cake and around the fish, scatter the reserved whole ackee pods, sesame seeds and a final pinch of torn Thai basil, and serve immediately.