Good Fish_ Sustainable Seafood Recipes From the Pacific Coast - Becky Selengut [79]
SERVES 4 AS AN UNFORGETTABLE BRUNCH
Heat a large pan (pick one that doesn’t have a bad reputation as a “sticker”) over medium-high heat. Add the butter. Let it bubble, then turn the heat down to medium low. In a medium bowl, whisk the cream into the eggs, and pour the mixture into the pan. Season with truffle salt and pepper. Grab a wooden spoon and start stirring. You will be tempted to turn the heat up, but don’t. If you keep stirring the eggs at a medium-low temperature they will produce the creamiest, most delicious curds you’ve ever had. It should take about 10 minutes before they start to set into small curds, but they will still have lots of moisture. Look for creamy, barely set eggs. Take the pan off the heat. Spoon the eggs into 4 bowls, dollop each with a bit of caviar, and garnish with the thyme.
PAIRING: A Chablis, such as Albert Bichot Domaine Long-Depaquit 2007, or a Sancerre from the Loire Valley in France.
paddlefish caviar hash
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive
oil
¾ pound russet or Yukon Gold
potatoes, cut into medium
dice (about 2 cups)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups arugula
4 eggs
1 tablespoon white wine
vinegar
Sour cream, for serving
1 ounce paddlefish caviar
4 pieces good crusty bread,
toasted
This is the dish chefs eat when the work night is over and they’re hungry and tired and want something satisfying and quick (except for the caviar part, because the customers got that). You will be tempted to start throwing all sorts of things in with the potatoes, but try to resist. The idea behind spending your hard-earned cash on caviar is to be able to taste it. If you decide to make this without the caviar, though, by all means fry up tons of onions and please pass the Tabasco.
SERVES 4
Heat a cast-iron or other skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter, olive oil (or, if you are lucky enough to have it, substitute with duck fat), and potatoes. Once the potatoes start browning on the bottom, 7 to 8 minutes, flip them over with a thin-edged metal spatula (a fish spatula works well), carefully scraping along the bottom of the pan to release them without damaging that great crust. Keep cooking until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Season really well with salt and pepper. Add the arugula, off the heat, and let it wilt among the potatoes. Set aside.
To poach the eggs, fill a medium bowl with ice water and set aside. Crack each egg into an individual small cup. In a large sauté pan over high heat, bring 3 inches of water to a boil. Add a large pinch of salt and the white wine vinegar. Gently place each egg into the simmering water. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft. With a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to the ice water and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. (To reheat, place the eggs back into barely simmering water for 30 seconds.)
Season the poached eggs with salt and pepper. Serve each guest a scoop of potatoes and arugula, then top with a poached egg, a dollop of sour cream, a spoonful of caviar, and a piece of toast.
PAIRING: A Chablis, such as Joseph Drouhin 2007, or a light sparkling wine.
potato and beet latkes with horseradish sour cream and caviar
¼ cup grated peeled red beets
¼ cup grated peeled carrots
¾ pound russet or Yukon Gold
potatoes, grated using the
largest holes of a box grater
(about 2½ cups)
2 tablespoons grated onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
¼ cup all-purpose flour
Freshly ground pepper
High-heat vegetable oil, for
pan-frying
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon prepared
horseradish
4 ounces