Avocado & Chili Pompano
By Chef Louis Robinson, Chef/Owner of Spice in Sarasota, FL.
Our Recreation
INGREDIENTS
Avocado Créme Fraîche
- 1 ea. Avocado
- 1 ea. Poblano Pepper
- 1/2 ea. Lime, Juiced
- 4 oz. Créme Fraîche
- 1/8 cup Half & Half
- tt. Salt
Cascabel Chili Oil
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- 3 ea. Cascabel Chilies, Dried (any mild dried chili will work)
Pompano
- 6 ea. Pompano Fillets
Puffed Amaranth
- 1/4 cup Amaranth Grains
- tt. Salt & Pepper
- 30 ea. Shishito Peppers
- 9 ea. Multi-Colored Cherry Tomatoes, halved
DIRECTIONS
Avocado Créme Fraîche
- Roast poblano peppers over a gas burner, until completely blackened on all sides. While still hot, place chilis in a sealed plastic bad for 5 min to steam. After 5 min, remove poblanos from bag and rinse under cold water to remove blackened skin. Cut open and remove all seeds.
- Place roasted poblano flash in blender along with rest of ingredients. Blend on highest setting until smooth. Once smooth and creamy, season with salt to taste.
Cascabel Chili Oil
- Place chilis and olive oil in a sauce pan over high heat. Allow oil to get hot enough to start to soften chilis.
- Blend the oil and chilis on high in blender. Strain oil through coffee filter.
Pompano
- Cut each fillet in half lengthwise and score skin several times to prevent curling. Each serving will get two pieces, or a whole fillet.Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place in an oiled super hot pan, skin side down. Cook for approx. 3 min skin side until super crispy and then flip.
- Finish cooking on other side for one more min. This can be done in batches, and finished fish can be put on a are rack and kept in a warming oven.
Puffed Amaranth
- Place a third of amaranth onto a super hot dry pan, quickly cover the lid and shake pan.
- Amaranth will pop like popcorn. Once popping stops, quickly remove from pan to prevent burning.
Blistered Shishito Peppers
- Place pepper on a sheet tray and place them on the top rack of an ovens broiler for a couple of minutes, turning at least once. Until blackened and blistered spots.
- Once done, toss lightly with a splash of olive oil and salt to taste.
TO ASSEMBLE
- Smear smooth avocado sauce a couple times in plate, drizzle with cascabel oil.
- Garnish with tomato halves and herbs.
- Make plate abstract, have fun with it.
