So, we were each given a flounder to clean and fillet, and then do whatever we liked. I decided to go with one of my favorite fish dishes, which I learned from Arthur. Native to Hanoi[?], it's called Cha Ca, and consists of a white fish (he usually uses tilapia), marinated in turmeric, galangal, and some other magical things, and served on a huge bed of fresh dill, with a diluted fish sauce dip and toasted peanuts on the side.
I made a marinade of turmeric, ginger (no galangal on hand), chopped onions, olive oil, salt and sugar, and let the fillets marinate for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, I cooked some rice with olive oil, salt, and dill. When the rice was about done, I rolled some into the fillets, and popped 'em into the oven. Then I lightly toasted some peanuts, made a small tomato fondue (butter, shallots, garlic, s&p, tomatoes, quickly sauteed in a pan with a parchment paper lid) for color and garnish, fried a strip of the side of the fish for a crispy top piece, and made a turmeric mayo with the frying oil. Some extra dill as a side and garnish, and voila!
I had forgotten to put the mayo on the plate when we presented, so had to hastily run up with a spoonful of it and smear it on the plate, which is why it looks like sloppy electric bird poop. Oops.
It was pretty delicious, if I do say so myself.
Pre-sauce
Done
Last weekend, M and I went to Chicago for Halloween, AND to experience the marvel of maximum apocalyptic decadence that is Alinea. But more on that later.
