Pan-seared grouper w/soft ancho polenta & avocado sauce c

4 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
4 ounces White wine
4 ounces White wine vinegar
2 ounces Shallot; chopped
Tarragon stems
½ tablespoon Black pepper; cracked
6 Egg yolk; stirred
1 pounds Butter; clarified
1 pinch Cayenne
Salt; to taste
1 tablespoon Chervil; chopped
1 tablespoon Tarragon; chopped
1 tablespoon Lemon juice
½ cup Tomato concassé
½ cup Avocado; chopped
4 cups Vegetable stock; mixed w/orange juice
1 cup Cornmeal; coarse
½ cup 2% milk
¼ cup Romano cheese; fresh grated
1 teaspoon Ancho chile paste
1 teaspoon Ginger
1 teaspoon Garlic
1 teaspoon Shallot
1 teaspoon Lemon zest; or lemon grass
2 ounces Olive oil
1 Lemon; juice of
Salt; to taste
Pepper; to taste
4 Grouper fillets; 8 ounce
1 Mango; diced small
2 Tomato; concassé
1 Red onion; diced fine
2 tablespoons Cilantro; chopped
2 ounces Olive oil
1 teaspoon Green chiles; chopped
Salt; to taste
Pepper; to taste

Directions

SAUCE CHORON

POLENTA

GROUPER

MANGO AND TOMATO SALSA

Note 1: The recipe states "4 cups vegetable stock and orange juice mixed", but does not give any amounts for each to make up the 4 cups.

Note 2: Concassé: Peeled, seeded tomatoes, chopped fine.

SAUCE: Combine the white wine, white wine vinegar, shallots, tarragon stems, and cracked black pepper in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to one-third the volume and strain. Stir the warm reduction into the egg yolks and whip continuously over a double boiler until thickened. Slowly add in the clarified butter, whisking constantly.

Add the cayenne, pepper, salt, all but ½ teaspooon chervil, tarragon, lemon juice, tomato concassé, and avocados. Reserve the ½ teaspoon chervil for garnish. Keep the sauce warm until service.

POLENTA: Bring the vegetable stock and orange juice to a boil.

Gradually whisk the cornmeal into the stock. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened. Add the milk and cook until cornmeal is creamy. Remove from heat and stir in the Romano cheese.

Season to taste and reserve.

GROUPER: Mix the ginger, garlic, shallots, lemon zest, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together into a paste with a hand blender. Spread over the fish and marinate for 1 to 2 hours. Heat a heavy skillet until it smokes. Place the fish, skin side down, in the pan to brown then turn it over. Let the fish brown, and finish in a hot oven. Add oil if needed.

SALSA: Mix all ingredients together. Set aside.

SERVICE: Pipe polenta with a pastry bag onto the left side of the plate in a curved rope-like presentation. Place a spoonful of the mango and tomato salsa in the center of the plate, top with the grouper and nap Choron sauce over half the fish. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon reserved chervil.

Recipe from "The National Culinary Review", September 1997.

NOTES : In 1980, as the captain of Team USA, he led the team into its first gold medal in the hot food division of the International Kochkunst Ausstellung, held in Frankfurt, Germany. Chef Friedenreich says that victory, along with opening his own restaurant in 1979 and passing his certified master chef exam five years ago, are the highlights of his culinary career. Chef Friedenreich describes his demo recipe -- pan-seared grouper with soft ancho polenta and avocado sauce Choron -- as New World Cuisine. In it, he marries classical, old world touches, with new world products and techniques. For example, he prepares a traditional sauce Choron then embellishes it with diced avocados.

Recipe by: Klaus Friedenriech, CMC, AAC

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