fish and fennel
Recipe courtesy of Paul Williams, CEC, Executive Chef, River Crest Country Club (Fort Worth, Texas).
Ingredients
- branzino fillets - 5 oz.
- avocado tzatziki sauce
- red chimichurri sauce
- roasted fennel purée
- fennel pollen butter
- fennel flowers
- fennel fish cracker
- Fish Spice
- parsley - 1 Tbsp., finely chopped
- chives - 1 Tbsp., snipped
- dill - 1 Tbsp., rough chopped
- tarragon - 4 leaves, chopped
- thyme - 2 Tbsp., chopped
- rosemary - 1 Tbsp., chopped
- lemon - 1/2 ea., zest
- fennel seed - 1/2 tsp., finely crushed
- garlic - 1 tsp., granulated
- onion - 1 tsp., granulated
- white sugar - 1/2 tsp., white
- kosher salt - 1 1/2 cup
- pepper - freshly ground, to taste
- Avocado Tzatziki Sauce
- avocado - 3 ea.
- sour cream - 1 1/2 cup
- olive oil - 2 oz.
- rice vinegar - 2 Tbsp.
- garlic - 4 cloves, minced
- cucumbers - 3 ea., peeled
- greek yogurt - 2 1/2 cups, strained
- garlic - 1 tsp., granulated
- onion - 1 tsp., granulated
- dill - 2 tsp., chopped
- chive - 1 Tbsp., snipped
- kosher salt - to taste
- chile flakes - pinch
- lemon juice - 1 Tbsp., fresh
- Garnish (should go over the avocado tzatziki sauce)
- red and yellow roasted peppers - finely diced
- cucumbers
- dill
- red onion
- balsamic pearls
- Red Chimichurri Sauce
- piquillo peppers - 1 can, drained
- chipotle - 2 tsp., purée
- parsley - 3 bunches, flat
- cilantro - 2 bunches
- green onion - 1 bunch, whites, minced
- garlic cloves - 16 ea., roasted
- garlic - 1/2 Tbsp., raw
- red wine vinegar - 1 cup
- smoked paprika - 1 1/2 Tbsp.
- lemon juice - 2 ea., fresh
- sugar - 2 Tbsp.
- jalapeño - 3 ea., charred
- coriander - 1 tsp., powder
- Worcestershire - 1 Tbsp., powder
- oregano - 1/2 Tbsp., dried
- olive oil - 1 1/2 cup
- kosher salt - to taste
- red pepper flakes - to taste
- Fennel Purée
- butter - 3 Tbsp.
- onion - 2 ea., diced
- fennel - 4 hd., white only, diced
- russet potato - 2 ea., peeled, diced
- chicken stock - 1 cup
- heavy cream - 1 cup
- kosher salt - pinch
- horseradish - to taste, drained
- fennel pollen - pinch
- Fennel Pollen Tuile
- egg whites - 60 gms.
- flour - 50 gms.
- olive oil - 40 gms.
- fennel pollen - small pinch
- sugar - 8 gms.
- salt - 4 gms.
Instructions
Procedure for Fish Spice:
- Mix all of the chopped herbs together.
- Add in the zest and garlic.
- Season with salt and pepper. Let bloom for 20 minutes.
- Whisk in the granulated garlic and onion, salt and pepper.
- Mix thoroughly. Let dry for two days.
- Pulse in a blender to break up and use.
- Season the fish right before cooking it.
Procedure for Avocado Tzatziki Sauce:
- Dice the avocado. Season with lemon and salt.
- Place the avocado mix and the sour cream and purée smooth.
- In a bowl add the olive oil, vinegar, garlic and cucumbers.
- Fold in the avocado purée.
- Whisk in the yogurt.
- Season with the granulated garlic and onion.
- Add in the dill and adjust the flavor.
Procedure for Red Chimichurri Sauce:
- Drain the piquillo peppers.
- Rinse the parsley and cilantro well and drain.
- Rough-chop both with a sharp knife.
- In a blender, place the piquillo pepper, chipotle purée, parsley, and cilantro.
- Add in the vinegar and lemon juice and pulse to bring everything together.
- Add in the smoked paprika, roasted garlic cloves, raw garlic, sugar, jalapeño, Worcestershire powder and oregano.
- Stream in the olive oil.
- Season with salt and red pepper flakes. Place everything a blender and purée until silky smooth and red.
Procedure for Fennel Purée:
- Clean the fennel and dice—no cores. Sweat slowly in butter. Do not brown.
- Add in the onion and keep cooking until everything is getting soft.
- Hit with some chicken stock and add in the potatoes. Cook until everything is soft. Add in some cream and simmer.
- Add in the salt, horseradish and the fennel pollen.
- Place in the blender and puree until smooth and creamy.
Procedure for Fennel Pollen Tuile:
- Blend everything together until smooth. (Chef's note: You can use all different kinds of oil.)
- Spread the batter into the mold.
- Bake for 8 minutes at 150°C.
- Gently remove the tuile when still hot.
Garnish should go over the avocado tzatziki sauce.
