RADICCHIO FISH CUPS

Ingredients

For the dressing:
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1.5 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
For the fish cups:
• Penang nut & spice mix
• 1 - 1.5 lbs white fish, wild alaskan cod
• 2 heads fresh radicchio
• cooked jasmine rice (2 cups water, 1 cup rice)
• handful of carrots, shredded
• 1 fresh jalapeño, thinly sliced
• 4-6 radishes, sliced into thin wedges
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (for radish pickling)
• pinch of salt & pinch of sugar (for radish pickling)
• handful of snow peas
• 1 scallion, chopped
• handful of peanuts, barely chopped
• peanut butter dressing (see recipe above)

Instructions

1. Take one cup of jasmine rice and add it into a saucepan with lid. Add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the rice to steam in the saucepan with the lid on until it becomes tender. Flake with a fork and allow to come to room temperature by removing the lid.
2. Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing. Taste first to make certain the ratios taste correct - add a bit more lime juice if additional acid is needed. Place the dressing into a small serving bowl with a small serving spoon for drizzling on the lettuce cups at the table. Set aside.
3. On a baking tray or small baking dish, place the white fish and drizzle with a bit of olive oil or sesame oil, sprinkle it generously with Penang nut & spice mix and place into oven at 425° for 15-20 minutes or until the fish flakes. Although I used Alaskan cod, any type of white fish can be used: haddock, halibut, tilapia, sole, etc. If you overcook, it gets very tough - you want it to be light and flaky, so don't leave it in the oven too long. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
4. While the fish is baking in the oven, quick-pickle the radishes. Using about 4-6 radishes, slice them into small wedges and add them into a bowl with 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar, a good pinch of salt and a good pinch of sugar. Let them marinate in this liquid while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients and this will quick-pickle the radishes.
5. Slice the snow peas into long, thin slices, shred the carrots (I bought pre-shredded carrots), chop the scallions, rough chop the peanuts, and thinly slice about 1/2 a jalapeño. Prep all of these ingredients and place into their own small bowls to have ready when assembling the lettuce cups.
6. Take the heads of radicchio and slice off the core end with a knife. Using your hands, gently remove each leaf, trying to keep them whole & intact so they create small cups to hold the fish and fillings.
7. To assemble, take a radicchio cup & add in a scoop of jasmine rice, add a bit of baked fish, top with carrots, radishes, snow peas, scallions, peanuts, a slice of jalapeño and a generous sprinkle of Penang nut & spice mix. Arrange the little cups on a platter and serve with the peanut dressing for each person to drizzle over their lettuce cups.