I'll be guest writing today on my home town native blogger friend Natasha's blog, Five Star Foodie. I'm a bit jealous because she's traveling, while we get to play around with extremely aromatic food samples she offered me via Marx Foods. Since I received the box of goodies, my kitchen has smelled like an International market. And, who doesn't love that!?
When Natasha asked me prepare something distinct using some of the items I received, I knew immediately I wanted to make something vegetarian, but meaty. Timing couldn't have been any better because I was recently asked by two different friends about delving more into meatless food. In the box, there were dried mushrooms, some spices and rice. This was all I needed to make something meaty, tasty and Latin-y.
I still wanted to incorporate something additional, so I went to my place of inspiration. Just one year ago I was in Monaco, eating at some amazing Michelin rated restaurants. One particular restaurant left me begging for more. The chef's free spirit and genuine attempt at speaking English, really did me in. But when his entrees, specially made for me and my small crew of people, started making their way to our table, I knew I was about to be elevated to another echelon of culinary musings.
The third course Chef Gandon brought me was a lovely plate of bright yellow saffron risotto topped on a filet of par cooked red fish. To top it all off, he layered a beautiful piece of gold foil on the rice. I was intrigued by invisible red fish. After questioning him about how he cooked the fish, I took mental note and finished eating.
It goes without saying, this recipe is inspired by that gorgeous dish. I used a combination of black trumpet mushrooms and candy cap mushrooms in lieu of gold foil, which gave the dish a tangy and earthy taste that I balanced out with some sugar. I made the beans as I would normally make most of my Cuban bean potajes, except I left out the green peppers and onions and used turmeric instead of saffron, giving it a more Indian vibe.
Lastly, the fish is there, you just have to make it to see how amazing it goes with the beans. It'll be a great surprise it will be to your guests. I used halibut, but you can use any variety of a fishy white fish. The trick and specialty about this dish is that the beans poured over the fish complete cooking the fish! It's a new way of making fish and I will try it again and again with other dishes calling for beans or rice. While using all these aromatic ingredients my Marx was fun, I that the cooking process transported me back to a place I love so much.
Ingredients:
Fish:
1 filet of white fish
1/2 lemon juice
salt/pepper to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil
White bean potaje:
1 cup white bean rice
3 cups water
1/2 cup mushroom mix
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 tsp. minced garlic, separated
1 tbsp. sugar
1.5 tsp. fluer de sel
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. turmeric or packet of Sazón Goya with achiote
1 bay leaf
dash of vinegar
Method:
Fish:
Marinade fish with lemon juice, salt, pepper and let sit for 20-30 mins in fridge. In medium skillet, heat olive oil and lightly sear fish on both sides about 6-7 minutes (depending on what kind of fish), but do not allow the fish to cook all the way through. Remove from heat and set aside.
For Beans:
In medium sauce pan, add beans, water, salt and turmeric. Bring to boil. Uncover and add 2 teaspoons of garlic, oregano, bay leaf and stir. Lower to medium and cook for 30-40 minutes. In non-stick skillet, and heat olive oil. Add mushrooms and garlic. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes until mushrooms are tender. Add mushroom mixture to beans, sugar and vinegar and continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes on low-medium. Cook fish at
this point.
To serve, place par cooked fish in rectangular or large gourmet bowl and cover completely with beans, allowing the heat from the beans to finish cooking the fish!
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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.
