Whole Grilled Bass with Chayote Salad for two

This is a dish inspired by our friends over at Tuck Shop. We wanted a fresh and healthy dinner and thought that using chayote the same way as green papaya is used in that typical Thai salad would most likely work out great. The fish is prepared by removing the spine/bones but leaving the head and tail to give you all the benefits of a whole roast fish but all the ease of eating as a filet. This allows you to get an ultra crispy skin and moist flesh inside. So warm up in a healthy way during the cold months with this spicy and savory fish!

Ingredients:

1 whole farmed striped bass http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_factsheet.aspx?fid=31

1 bunch of fresh coriander

1 habanero chili pepper, seeded

1 clove of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2 tbsp red curry paste

1 tbsp vegetable oil

3 tbsp fish sauce

2 plum tomatoes (we used kumoto’s because they were the only local greenhouse)

1 chayote peeled and cut into julienne (a mandolin will come in handy here)

1 5” piece of daikon radish peeled and cut into julienne

1 carrot peeled and cut into julienne

½ cup of snow peas

¼ cup peanuts, roughly chopped

juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp rice vinegar

2 cups cooked rice, for serving

Salt

To start clean your fish. Ask your fishmonger to scale your fish and gut it; this will save you some hassle and mess at home. Now to remove the bones you are going to cut the fish exactly as if you were going to make a filet but stop 1 inch before the end of the tail and 1 inch before the head. Do the same thing on the other side and flip the fish over. Remove the bones from the interior of the fish and using a pair of scissors cut out the collarbone and clip the spine at the head and tail. You should now be able to remove all the bones in one piece. Trim the filets nicely and use some tweezers to remove the last of the pin bones. If you are not feeling this ambitious, you could always have an equally delicious dish using prepared filets. Reserve your fish in the refrigerator.

Place the ginger, garlic, habanero and about 1/3 cup of chopped coriander stems in the bowl of a molcajete (mortar and pestle) or if lacking this piece of equipment in a bowl with any blunt object as your weapon. Mash the ingredients together and sprinkle with 1 tbsp of fish sauce and the juice of ½ lemon to help create a paste, a pinch of salt might help at this stage also. Once you have formed a paste remove 1 heaping tablespoon and mix it with the curry paste and 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Spread this paste inside the fish on the flesh side only and allow to marinate for about 30 minutes while you prepare your other ingredients.

Seed your tomatoes and cut them into a fine dice. Remove the strings from your snow peas and cut into little diamonds.

Heat your oven to 450F. Heat a pan with 3 tbsp vegetable oil on maximum until the oil is smoking. Season your fish with salt and place in the pan, cook about 4 minutes then flip and put in the oven for about 10 minutes until very crispy on the out side and just cooked inside.

While your fish is cooking, place the chayote, carrot and daikon juliennes in the bowl of the molcajete. Add the peanuts, rice vinegar, the rest of the fish sauce and the juice of ½ lemon and mash with the pestle. Add the snow peas, diced tomatoes and a handful of roughly chopped coriander to the bowl and mash lightly to extract all of the flavor. Taste the salad and season with more vinegar or fish sauce if needed.

Remove the fish from the oven and serve on top of the rice on a bit platter with the salad on the side.

Pork Birria and slasa EL CHIVITO

Birria de Puerco

2 pork hocks

2 lbs. pork shoulder

Brine:

1 cup coarse salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup cider vinegar

8 cups water

2 whole, dried chili cascabel

1 whole dried chili pasilla

1 whole dried chili chipotle

1 head garlic, cut in two

2 tbsp whole black peppercorns

2 cinnamon sticks

6 bay leaves

1 handful coriander stems/roots

2 onions, cut into 4

2 carrots cut in 2

3 branches of celery cut in 2

2 roma tomatoes cut in half

1 onion, finely diced

2 branches of celery, finely diced

2 cups cooked beans, drained, cooking liquid reserved

1 chayote, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 tbsp dried Mexican oregano

Finely diced onion and coriander for garnish

Dry Mexican oregano for garnish

3 big pieces chicharonnes for garnish

Fresh tortillas

Bring to a boil all the ingredients for the brine, turn off and let infuse for about 20 minutes. Return to a boil, add pork and cook simmering about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for about 25 minutes to be able to handle. Strain out liquid and set aside garlic and chilies for later braise. Remove skin from pork hocks, drain on paper towels and season all pork with salt.

Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large ovenproof pot. Sear pieces of pork on high to color all sides. Add the largely cut celery, onion, tomato and carrots and cook 2-3 minutes longer. Add reserved bean cooking liquid and water to cover most of the way up the meat. Add the garlic and chilies reserved from the brine. Bring to boil, cover and cook in a 325F oven for about 2-3 hours until meat is very tender.

Remove meat and strain juices, degreasing with a ladle as much as possible. Shred meat and reserve. Rinse pot and put back on medium-high heat. Cook diced onion and celery in 1 tbsp vegetable oil for 2-3 minutes then add chayote and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add beans, oregano and shredded meat and cook for 1 minute longer. Add braising liquid and bring to a boil, skimming broth. Simmer for 10-15 minutes to let flavors come together

Serve with tortillas, salsa and condiments on side.

Salsa EL CHIVITO

4 whole, dried chili pasilla

1 whole, dried chili chipotle

4 cloves garlic, unpeeled

1 cinnamon stick

2 onions cut into large chunks

1 can whole tomatillos

3 roma tomatoes cut in quarters

1 cup water

Juice of 1 lime

Handful coriander leaves

Salt

This salsa was inspired by a place in Mexico City called EL CHIVITO where they make the best goat birria accompanied by the best tortillas I have had in a long long time for sure. They serve it with an amazing sauce that I have never seen anywhere else in Mexico. Its a dark salsa roja with whole braised tomatillos to burst into your birria broth. Here is our version.

In a very hot dry pan toast chilies, garlic and cinnamon stick until nice and fragrant. Remove from heat, remove stems from chilies, peel garlic and set aside with cinnamon stick. Add onion, tomatoes and tomatillo (saving 6 for later) to pan with chilies and cook on high until charred.

Return garlic to pan with cilantro and water. Cook at a low simmer to reduce liquid and soften chilies, about 15 minutes. Pour contents of pan into blender and blend until smooth.

Return to pot and add whole tomatillos. Bring to a simmer and season with salt and lime juice to taste.

Serve with pork and bean stew.

Chicken pho

Ultra satisfying on a cold fall day, a good bowl of soup can do wonders. So warm up with this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 whole chicken legs

2 onions

1 large carrot

1 branch of celery

2 tsp coriander seed

2 tsp whole clove

2 cinnamon stick

4 star anise

2” fresh ginger

3 tbsp fish sauce

6 shitake mushrooms, sliced

6 cremini mushrooms, cut into small cubes

½ cup enoki mushrooms, cut into 1” segments

1 cup Brussel sprouts, outer leaves reserved and cores quartered

½ pkg (250g) medium rice noodles, cooked (we do this by pouring boiling water over the noodles, the letting them sit until still a little toothsome, strain and rinse well under cold water)

Condiments:

1 bunch green onions, sliced

2 cups bean sprouts

Several sprigs Cilantro

Several sprigs Thai Basil

3 limes cut into segments

Hoisin Sauce

Siracha

First you need to make the base stock and cook your chicken. Heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large pot over high heat. Once almost smoking add the chicken legs and cook 3-5 minutes on each side to brown them well. Remove from pan and add 1 onion, the carrot and celery and cook to caramelize. Add 1 tsp each of coriander and cloves and 1 cinnamon stick and cook for 1 minute longer to toast the spices. Add the chicken legs back in and cover with water. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Cook the stock for 1-2 hours or until the chicken is very tender. Strain the stock and reduce by half. Shred the meat from the chicken legs, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Roast the ginger and the remaining onion peel left on, cut in half in a hot oven to caramelize, add to the stock with the star anise, stems from the mushrooms, coriander stems and the other remaining dry spices. Top up with cold water, bring to a simmer and reduce by ¼.

Strain and add the chicken meat and fish sauce. Cook at a simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the shitake and cremini mushrooms and the brussel sprout cores and cook 10 minutes longer. Cool slightly and season to taste.

To serve, place a handful of the rice noodles at the bottom of each bowl. Add the enoki mushrooms and brussel sprout leaves over top and ladle the soup over top. Serve the condiments nicely arranged on a large plate in the middle of the table. Dress your soup how you like it and enjoy!