Bass with Herbed Rice and Coconut-Vegetable Chowder

This vegetable and fish chowder is another great fall comfort food. The panko coated fried fish is delicious over the chowder and rice. Be sure to rinse the rice before cooking it so that it is sticky and will hold up in the chowder with fish over it.

Ingredients:

Chowder

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

3 large fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño chile with seeds

1 garlic clove, crushed

3 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk

2 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled sweet potato (yam; from 1 pound)

2 cups baby Yukon Gold or baby Dutch yellow potatoes (about 9 ounces), scrubbed, halved lengthwise, then crosswise

2 cups stringless sugar snap peas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 large carrot, peeled, cut into matchstick-size strips

Fish

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup water

1 large egg

2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

6 pieces striped bass or halibut fillets

Vegetable oil (for frying)

White rice with cilantro

Lime wedges

Directions:

For chowder: 
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add next 6 ingredients. Cover and cook until onion is soft, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add coconut milk and next 4 ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered 1 hour.

Meanwhile, cook yam cubes in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Using skimmer, transfer yam to bowl. Add Yukon Gold potatoes to same saucepan and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain; add to bowl with yam. DO AHEAD: Broth and potatoes can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover separately, and chill.

Bring coconut broth to simmer over medium heat. Add all cooked potatoes, sugar snap peas, red bell pepper, and carrot. Simmer until all vegetables are tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

For fish: 
Place flour in shallow bowl. Combine 1/2 cup water and egg in another shallow bowl; whisk to blend. Place panko in third shallow bowl. Sprinkle fish pieces with salt and pepper. Coat in flour, then egg mixture, then panko.

Pour enough oil into large nonstick skillet to coat bottom. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add fish to skillet. Cook until golden and crisp and just opaque in center, about 3 to 5 minutes per side depending on thickness.