Good Fish_ Sustainable Seafood Recipes From the Pacific Coast - Becky Selengut [80]
cod, char, or salmon
1 ounce trout caviar or ikura
(salmon eggs)
¼ cup parsley leaves or dill
sprigs, for garnish
I grew up in a pseudo-Jewish family, meaning we celebrated some of the holidays (the ones with the least amount of long-winded reading and fasting), and I was forced to go to temple until I was thirteen. My Jewish upbringing was less about religion and more about culture. Where there’s culture, there’s food, and frankly, in my family, it was always about the food. Latkes are a traditional dish served during Hanukkah. I came up with this dish by basically taking every food that appeared on our holiday table and putting it into one dish: grated beets reminded me of borscht, smoked fish reminded me of New York Jewish delis, horseradish reminded me of maror that we put on matzoh during Passover, and caviar reminded me of that time I caught my grandmother stealing a little bit from a small jar when she thought I wasn’t watching her.
SERVES 4 TO 6 AS AN APPETIZER
Combine the beets, carrots, potatoes, and onion in a bowl. Stir in the salt and let the vegetables sit for 10 minutes (the salt will help bring out a lot of the moisture). Over the sink, squeeze the vegetables with your hands to remove the liquid. Add the egg and flour and season with the pepper. Form a small amount into a tester latke (about 1 inch wide and flattened with your fingers so it is thin). Place some paper towels on a sheet pan.
Heat a medium cast-iron (or reliably nonstick) pan over medium-high heat. Add a tiny amount of oil and fry the tester latke until it is golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the sheet pan and when the latke is cool, taste it for seasoning. Season the whole mixture if necessary with more salt and pepper. Form the rest of the latkes and fry them in batches in about ¼ cup oil, adding more as needed.
In a small bowl, mix the sour cream with the horseradish and set aside.
Top each latke with a small amount of smoked trout, a small dollop of horseradish cream, some caviar, and parsley leaves. Serve immediately.
PAIRING: A champagne, such as NV Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve, or a muscadet.
caviar on buttered brioche with crème fraîche and chives
½ cup warm water (110ºF to
120ºF)
1 package active dry yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
6 extra-large eggs, at room
temperature
4¼ cups unbleached flour,
plus more as needed
2½ teaspoons kosher salt
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks)
unsalted butter, at room
temperature
1 egg, beaten well with 1
tablespoon milk, for egg
wash
½ cup crème fraîche, whisked
to thicken
1 ounce paddlefish or white
sturgeon caviar
1 tablespoon snipped chives,
for garnish
You certainly don’t have to make your own brioche for this recipe; you could just purchase some and proceed directly to using it as a caviar-distribution vehicle. But, truly, it’s very easy to make and doesn’t require any special skill (shhh, don’t tell French bakers I just said that). With that much butter and egg, it’s a pretty forgiving recipe. If you happen to live near a farmers market or know someone raising chickens, the bright orange of farm-grown eggs makes an especially golden brioche.
SERVES 6 TO 8 AS APPETIZER
Preheat the bowl of a stand mixer by rinsing it with hot water. Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon and let rest for 5 minutes, or until the yeast and sugar dissolve (the yeast should show signs of activity after 5 minutes by bubbling up—if not, start over with fresher yeast). Add the eggs and, using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed for 1 minute, or until well mixed. With the mixer on low speed, add 2 cups of the flour and the salt and mix for 5 minutes. With the mixer still on low, add 2¼ more cups of flour and mix for 5 more minutes. Scrape the dough into a large buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
The next day, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Meanwhile, grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Place the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with