Thursday, December 04, 2008

Three: That's The Magic Number

Another hook-up from the free fish gods provided us with an amazing variety of things to play with. I had wild Alaskan salmon sashimi with ponzu and minced jalapeño for lunch. For dinner, I actually meant to make the rest of the salmon into tartare, but I'll do it tomorow instead. I forgot because I had haddock, pollock, and cod to deal with.

I began by slicing blue, red, and sweet potatoes into thin rounds and arraying them in such a way as to be Visually Pleasant within the confines of an enameled iron gratin dish. Into this tricolor starch-fest I did pour some Whole Milk, some Spices, good Butter, and Herbs of the exalted Provençal varieties. And I set it to bake in an oven of Moderate Heat, covered with the Efficacious Convenience which is the Foil made from purest Aluminium.

The fishies got a thorough tumble in flour seasoned with a panoply of exotic seed-powders and did fry in an iron pan until such time as they had repented of their sins and were well-cooked. Meantime did watercress steam with garlic, and lemon, and, upon reaching a bright green countenance did undergo the ferocious vortex of a Blender until well-smoothed.

At this juncture did I pull the metal foil from atop the bubbling gratin, and besprinkle the top with panko, and switch the oven to broil, and stand there adjacent so that the top would not brown overmuch. And then I removed the gratin from the oven, and placed it upon a board of finest bamboo so that it would cool a bit, and thus remove less of the flesh from the roofs of our mouths when we ate of it.




















To the fish pan I did add some Wine, and some mysterious Oriental sauce made from fermented soya beans, and stirred to release the Brown Bits. And they were released, and rejoiced in their freedom. Thence to the plate went all, beginning with the watercress, and then the fish, and gratin- one kind of potato for each of the three fishes- and last the pan sauce.


























And we ate it.

6 comments:

The Spiteful Chef said...

Ach. You people and your colored potatoes (if that's the pc way to say it now). What ever happened to good 'ol fashioned white? Again, not trying to be a potato-racist, but seriously.

Looks mighty purty, though. I'll give you that. And panko would make just about anything amazing.

cookiecrumb said...

Gratin: That's the magic word.
And "besprinkle."
And "did."

Nice plating. Your tater gratin looks beautiful.

Jen said...

This looks pretty. And anything with fish right now is perfect, as far as I'm concerned. I must be needing Omega 3s or something.

peter said...

Kristie: That's potatoes of color. Figures you live in Texas.

CC: It is/did.

Jen: Me too. Our bodies are smarter than we are.

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook said...

Is this whole post an oblique reference to De La Soul...or is it just me?

michael, claudia and sierra said...

HAGC, he's referencing something
because he does shit like that..

and i rarely if ever get it

but i do like me some colored taters