- Yield: 18 servings
Smoked Whitefish Cakes with Sweet Corn Sauce and Red Pepper Relish
Recipe courtesy of John Clements, Executive Chef, Birchwood Farms Golf and Country Club, Harbor Springs, Mich.
Ingredients
- red pepper - 1, finely diced
- yellow pepper - 1, finely diced
- clarified butter - 2 tsps.
- Italian parsley - 1 bunch, chopped
- whitefish filet - 1 lb., diced
- egg white - 1
- salt - 1/2 tsp.
- heavy cream - 1 pt.
- mayonnaise - 1 cup
- Dijon mustard - 1 cup
- Worcestershire sauce - 2 tsps.
- lemon juice - 1 Tbsps.
- smoked whitefish - 4 lbs., pulled
- panko bread crumbs - 4 cups
- sweet corn sauce - recipe follows
- red pepper relish - recipe follows
- For Sweet Corn Sauce
- Yields 2 cups
- ears fresh corn - 2 to 3, removed from cob
- water - 1/2 cup
- softened butter - 1/2 stick
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- For Red Pepper Relish
- Yields 2 cups
- olive oil - 1 Tbsp.
- red onion or shallot - 1/4 cup, finely diced
- garlic cloves - 2 large, finely minced
- kosher salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- red bell peppers - 2, cored, seeded and finely diced
- jalapenos - 2, seeded and finely diced
- toasted coriander seeds - 1 Tbsp.
- packed brown sugar - 1/4 cup
- white wine vinegar - 1/4 cup
- orange juice - 1/2 cup
- chopped fresh cilantro - 1/2 cup
Instructions
- Mix the peppers together and sweat off in clarified butter. Drain well and cool.
- To make a traditional fish mousseline, make sure all ingredients are chilled below 40ºF along with bowl and blade of Robot Coup.
- Place the white fish filet along with the salt in the Robot Coup bowl and pulse until almost a smooth paste. Add the egg whites and pulse again, scraping down the sides. Add the heavy cream 1 to 2 ounces at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- Push the whitefish forcemeat through a sieve into a bowl. Have a second bowl with ice under the bowl with the forcemeat.
- Gently fold together with the remaining ingredients, including the cooled pepper mixture.
- Coat a lined sheet pan with the panko bread crumbs. Scale portions of 1.5 ounce of whitefish mixture, roll in the bread crumbs, and form into cakes.
- Fry in clarified butter until cakes are crispy and golden on both sides.
For Sweet Corn Sauce:
- Combine corn and water and puree in blender. Strain through a mesh strainer or chinois into a small saucepan.
- Place on stove over medium heat; bring to a boil and allow to reduce and thicken slightly.
- Whisk in the softened butter and season with salt and pepper.
- Remove from heat.
For Red Pepper Relish:
- Add olive oil to medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and warm until oil begins to shimmer. Add onions, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook until onions begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add red peppers and jalapenos and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add coriander seeds and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Add sugar and vinegar to pan and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Add orange juice and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid has completely reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. Add cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.