Tonight I wanted to do something a little different, but I had some Amberjack left over from a summer fishing trip that needed to be used. I used highly contrasting textures while trying to compliment the flavors. The line caught Amberjack was simply seared in unsalted butter, seasoned with white pepper and salt. The sides were wild rice (blend of texmati, brown, and wild rices seasoned with sage, thyme, onion, garlic, unsalted butter, and celery salt), homegrown carrots from our garden, which I steamed and did absolutely nothing to because they were perfect as is. Lastly, a pea soup pureed with heavey cream and seasoned with ground coriander, onion, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper, then topped with a dollop sour cream. So we have a flakey texture, a tender texture, a crunchy texture, and a creamy texture. The wine here is actually a sparkling plum wine (homemade from the tree in my backyard) and chilled until it was ice cold. The Amberjack could easily be substituded with Mahi-Mahi or Mangrove Snapper. This meal took about 45 minutes and makes use of ingredients and techniques anyone can replicate. If you would like more specifics, let me know and I'll be happy to assist.
This was definitely an easy and delicious meal anyone could make. The carrots were amazing...what's more amazing is that they had no seasoning! We grew these near our driveway by our herb garden. They were well worth the 5 minutes they took to plant. This was the first time I've tried a pea soup - it will not be the last. The sparkling plum wine was some of the best I've ever had (thanks Glenn and Lonnie for helping us pick the plums).
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious! Amberjack's my favorite fish! Pea sou? Hmmm. Not too sure about this. I may have to take your word for and try it though. Did you use fresh peas, frozen peas??
ReplyDeleteI understand, but it's not like what you're thinking. Fresh English Peas are always best simply because you can check them for sweetness before you buy, but frozen is actually fine. First chill the peas if not frozen, then drop them into boiling water for about 7 minutes (making sure the water continues boiling as you add the peas). When you remove them, drain them using a collander and drop them into ice water to bring out a bright green color. Next, puree your ingredients (including lightly sauteed onion and garlic). The trick is to strain the puree so you remove all remnants of pea skins so it is silky smooth. Warm in sauce pan adding heavy cream, ground coriander, and s/p. Finish with sour cream on top when serving (I don't have crème fraiche laying around). You could also jazz it up Southern style with some ham. Sounds a little strange but it's delicious.
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