Sea Bass in Pine-Nut Sauce

This is also a deep-fried sweet and sour fish, but not in the usual sense of the term; here the reddish sauce is embellished with speckles of pearly pine nuts instead of vegetables or fruits. Scored with numerous slashes on both sides and deep-fried until the slashes are stiffened and branched out, the fish is served gracefully curved, straight up, looking as though it were ready to glide away. It’s a beautiful presentation, particularly if you serve the fish on a l