Noble Philadelphia Video Recipe for Wild Alaskan Sable

PAN-FRIED WILD ALASKAN SABLE
PUMPERNICKLE, MUSSELS CHOWDER & RELISH, PEA PUREE
SERVES 4

MUSSEL RELISH
2 lbs mussels, Prince Edward Island, scrubbed clean & debearded
¼ c dry vermouth
¼ c white wine
1 tooth garlic, peeled, crushed
¼ Spanish onion, julienned or Fennel
1 laurel leaf
1 thyme sprig
2 T blended olive oil

1. Heat a large saute or braising pan over high heat and add the olive oil. Sweat the garlic, onion, laurel and thyme. Add the wine and vermouth and bring to a boil.
2. Add clean mussels and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and steam just until the mussels have opened. Remove the mussels to a pan to allow to cool, reserving the liquid. Strain the reserved liquid through a chinois or fine sieve and refrigerate until needed.
3. Pick the meat from the mussels and refrigerate until needed, disposing of the shells.

½ fennel bulb, washed & cored
¼ red onion, peeled
½ bun flat-leaf parsley leaves, washed, dried
1 lemon, washed
1 T lemon juice
3 T extra virgin olive oil
to taste salt and black pepper
reserved mussel meat

1. On a very sharp mandolin, shave the fennel and red onion very thin.
2. Peel the lemon very thinly and julienne very fine.
3. Combine all ingredients except for lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Reserve until dressing and seasoning.

PEA PUREE
1 c fresh peas, shucked
4 fl oz pea blanching liquid
3 T mint leaves, washed & dried
to taste salt

1. Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add peas and blanch until tender and very green. Immediately plunge into an ice bath stop the cooking process and retain the color. Reserve four ounces of the blanching liquid.
2. Add the peas, blanching liquid and mint to a food blender and blend until very smooth. Rub the puree through a sieve to remove the pea skins. Refrigerate until ready to reheat and serve.

POTATO PUREE
2 large baking potatoes
2 fl oz whole milk, hot
1 oz butter, whole, room temperature
4 fl oz reserved mussel poaching liquid, hot
to taste salt

1. Peel and quarter the potatoes. In a medium pot, cover with salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook just until the potatoes are tender.
2. Heat the milk and mussel liquid together and keep warm.
3. Strain the potatoes and let dry for a moment. Working quickly, pass the potatoes through a potato ricer or food mill into a medium pot. Place the pot on medium heat, occasionally stirring and not overworking the starch, to evaporate any remaining liquid left in the potatoes. Add the hot liquid and whole butter, stirring until a very smooth and silky puree is formed. Taste for seasoning with salt and serve immediately.

SABLE
4, 6 oz filets Alaskan Sable (Black Cod, Butterfish)
1 c pumpernickel bread crumbs, dried, ground fine
1 T caraway seeds, toasted, ground fine
to taste salt and black pepper
4 T blended olive oil

1. Mix the pumpernickel bread crumbs and fine-ground caraway seeds in a small bowl.
2. Season the fish filets liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge them individually in the pumpernickel mixture.
3. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the blended oil and pan-fry the coated fish filets, without disturbing the crust, for a few minutes on each side until the flesh no longer yields to finger pressure.
4. Drain the filets on a paper towel and let rest for one minute before serving.

TO FINISH: Dress and season the mussel salad. Heat the pea puree until hot. Prepare four clean plates. Place a dollop of hot potato puree on each. Place some pea puree adjacently on each plate. Place the sable filet across both purees and top with a bit of the mussel relish. Garnish with a bit more of the extra virgin olive oil.