Ingredients

• BROTH
  1. 1 quart water
  2. 3 stalks fresh lemongrass, thinly sliced crosswise
  3. One 8-by-2-inch piece of kombu (seaweed)
  4. 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  5. 1/4 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger
  6. 1/2 medium jalapeño
  7. 2 tablespoons mirin
  8. 2 tablespoons sake
  9. 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  10. Salt and freshly ground pepper
• SOMEN AND VEGETABLES
  1. 6 ounces somen noodles
  2. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  3. 1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
  4. 1 cup snow peas, sliced lengthwise 1/2-inch thick
  5. 1 cup finely shredded Napa cabbage
  6. 1 cup mung-bean sprouts
  7. 1/2 cup daikon radish matchsticks
  8. 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
  9. 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot
  10. Salt and freshly ground pepper
  11. 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
  12. 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• SEA BASS
  1. Four 6-ounce black sea bass fillets, with skin
  2. Salt and freshly ground pepper
  3. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  4. 2 tablespoons minced chives
  5. 1 teaspoon chopped basil
  6. 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
  7. 1 teaspoon toasted black sesame seeds

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Strain the broth and return it to the saucepan. Boil over high heat until reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
2. In a saucepan of boiling water, cook the somen until tender but still slightly chewy, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain.
3. Heat the oil in a wok. Add the shiitakes, snow peas, cabbage, bean sprouts, daikon, onion and carrot and season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir- fry over high heat until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the sesame oil and soy sauce; remove from the heat.
4. Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add the fish, skin-side down, and cook over moderately high heat until the skin is crisp, about 4 minutes. Turn the fillets and cook until just opaque throughout, about 2 minutes longer.
5. Bring the broth to a boil. Stir-fry the vegetables over high heat to rewarm them. Put the noodles in 4 shallow soup bowls and pour the boiling broth over them. Spoon the vegetables over the noodles and top with the fish, skin-side up. Sprinkle with the chives, basil, cilantro and sesame seeds and serve.