Hello readers of 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures. My name is Lazaro from Lazaro Cooks! I was honored when Natasha asked me to guest post on this blog that I enjoy reading on a weekly basis. The standard that Natasha sets here is exceptionally high, so I will endeavor not to embarrass myself.
British Fish & Chips is one of my all time favorite courses. I have been toying with the notion of reinterpreting the dish in my own style, using ingredients that are found in Cuban cuisine, the cuisine of my family’s homeland.
When I received the package from Marx Foods I was quite excited by the ingredients I had to work with. This was my first experience with their products and the quality is especially good. I attempted to use a Marx Foods product in every layer of the dish.
When conceptualizing this course I wanted two different starch preparations to go along with the fish. Malanga is a root vegetable used in Caribbean cuisine and I pared it with black trumpet mushrooms to make a croquette. The second starch is boniato, a white fleshed sweet potato, I shave them paper thin on a mandoline to make boniato chips.
For the fish I used wonderfully sustainable US farm-raised catfish. I went for a lighter finished product by seasoning with paprika and fennel pollen and pay-frying in safflower oil. The base of the dish is an heirloom bean and Tepin chili puree accented by a chive mojo.
Cuban Fish & Chips
For the Bean Puree:
3 oz Bacon
2 shallot – minced
Marx Foods Tepin chilies – rehydrated
2 bay leafs
1 cup Marx Foods dried Rice bean – (rinsed and sorted)
2 cups dried red beans – (rinsed and sorted)
350 ml White wine
Sea salt & black pepper
In a large stockpot, render the bacon over medium heat. Add the beans, shallots, Tepin chili, and bay leafs. Add the wine. Cook until the wine is reduced by ¾. Cover with enough water. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Cover with a parchment lid and simmer for 1 ½ hours or until the beans are soft. Remove bay leafs. In a blender, add all the solids. Add enough liquid to make the blender turn. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
Cooks Note: Tepin chilies pack a punch so the amount used is up to the discretion of the cook. The thickness of the puree is a direct result of the amount of cooking liquid used when blending.
For the Malanga Croquette:
1 large malanga – peeled
1 stick unsalted butter
1 Marx Foods Madagascar vanilla bean – split
2 cups half & half
1 ounce Marx Foods dried Black Trumpet mushrooms – (reconstituted)
AP Flour
Organic Eggs - Beaten
Galleta Molida – Cuban cracker meal
Peanut oil
In a saucepot, place the malanga and cover with water. Simmer until the malanga is easily pierced by a knife. In a small saucepan, heat the half & half and vanilla bean. In a glass bowl, add the butter and rice the malanga over the butter. Mix well to incorporate. Push the malanga puree through a Tamis, or drum sieve. In a glass bowl, whisk in the hot vanilla half & half to desired consistency. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Chop the Black Trumpet mushrooms. In a pan, add 1 tbs butter. When the butter foams add the mushrooms and sauté till brown. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Combine the mushrooms with the malanga puree. Refrigerate for 1 hour to harden.
Set up a breading station. In separate bowls, flour, eggs, cracker meal. Heat the peanut oil in a heavy bottom pan to 350 F. Mold spoonfuls pf malanga puree to the desired croquette size. Run through the breading station. Drop into the oil and fry till golden brown. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Remove to a plate lined with paper towel to drain.
For the Catfish:
2 – 8oz US farm-raised catfish
Wondra Flour
Smoked Paprika
Marx Foods Fennel Pollen
Safflower oil
Fleur de Sel
Remove fish from refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking. Pat dry to remove excess moisture. Season fish with Wondra flour, smoked paprika, and fennel pollen. In a heavy bottom pan heat safflower oil over medium heat. When it oil is quite hot add the catfish. Cook for 2 minutes on the skinned-side down. Gently flip over and cook for 1 minute on the second side. Remove to a rack to rest and season with Fleur de Sel.
For the Boniato Chips:
2 Boniatos – (peeled)
Peanut oil
Sea salt
Heat the peanut oil to 350 F. With a European apple corer cut cylinders of boniato. Using a mandoline, slice the boniato cylinders into paper thin chips. Using a spider skimmer, drop the chips into the oil. Fry until golden brown. Remove to a plate lined with paper towel. Season with sea salt.
For the Chive Mojo:
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium white onion – chopped
4 garlic cloves – minced
½ bunch cilantro – stems & leaves
Juice of 3 limes
½ tsp sea salt
1 bunch chives
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and cook until fragrant. Remove from the heat. In a blender, add the cilantro, lime juice, sea salt, chives, and the onion and garlic mixture. Blend till smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
To plate:
1. Center a spoonful of bean puree.
2. Add the malanga croquette
3. Top with the pan-fried catfish
4. Add the boniato chips
5. Garnish with a sprig of chervil
6. Swirl the chive mojo on the plate
That’s it for now…till we exchange a few words again…Peace!
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This guest post is part of the 5 Star Makeover Summer'10 Special:
Ten special bloggers have been invited to recreate different classic dishes of their choice and share them on the 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures blog. These guest posts will be featured every Monday from June 28 to August 30. This event is sponsored by MarxFoods, an online store that offers fantastic high quality gourmet products. In September, a final roundup of these makeovers will be posted and readers will be able to vote for their favorite recipe to receive a fabulous prize.
Ten special bloggers have been invited to recreate different classic dishes of their choice and share them on the 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures blog. These guest posts will be featured every Monday from June 28 to August 30. This event is sponsored by MarxFoods, an online store that offers fantastic high quality gourmet products. In September, a final roundup of these makeovers will be posted and readers will be able to vote for their favorite recipe to receive a fabulous prize.
