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GOVIND ARMSTRONG
Table 8 | Los Angeles, CA
With his distinctive good looks, charming smile,
and long dreadlocks tied behind his back, Table 8’s Chef Govind
Armstrong has a refreshing, easygoing style. At age 13, while most
of his friends were outside surfing, Armstrong was inside working
with celebrity chef, Wolfgang Puck. Today, Armstrong is on the rise
to culinary fame, making a name for himself as a driven chef who
insists on fresh, seasonal ingredients prepared without excessive
sauces or complicated fusion.
Poached Tomato with Tuna Confit and Salsa Verde
Chef Govind Armstrong of Table 8 – Los Angeles, CA
Adapted by StarChefs
Yield: 2 Servings
Ingredients:
Tuna confit
- 8 ounce Albacore loin
- 2 cups virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seed
- ¼ teaspoon ground peppercorn
- Splash of sherry vinegar
- 1 pinch chili flakes
Bottarga aioli
- ¼ garlic clove
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 Tablespoons shaved bottarga
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup grape seed oil
- Salt and pepper
Poached tomatoes
- 2 heirloom tomatoes, blanched, peeled and seeded
Salsa verde
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 anchovy filet
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ bunch parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 sprigs marjoram leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 sprigs basil leaves, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Garnish
- Celery, thinly sliced
- Herbed breadcrumbs
- Parsley
Method: For the tuna confit:
Place the tuna, olive oil, fennel seeds, peppercorn, sherry vinegar,
and chili flakes in a large saucepan on a low flame. Cook until
tuna flakes off with a fork, about 2 hours. Remove tuna from the
heat and allow it to cool in the oil. Once cooled, place tuna on
a plate and set aside. Reserve the seasoned oil in pan.
For the bottarga aioli:
In a mortar and pestle, add garlic, egg yolk, bottarga, lemon juice,
and mustard. Grind into a smooth paste. Combine the grape seed and
olive oils and begin to slowly drizzle into the mixture. Add a few
drops of water if the aioli begins to get too thick.
Season with salt and pepper.
For the poached tomatoes:
Cut the peeled tomatoes in half and place in saucepan with the reserved
oil of the tuna. Place tomatoes on a low flame and poach for 1 hour.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove tomatoes from oil and allow
to cool on a separate dish.
For salsa verde:
Using a mortar and pestle, grind the garlic clove, anchovy filet,
lemon zest, salt and pepper into a smooth paste. In a separate bowl,
mix all the herbs together. Once mixed, gradually add the herbs
to the mortar and grind gently. Pour a stream of olive oil slowly
into the mortar and grind with pestle until all the herbs are incorporated
and the sauce is emulsified.
To serve, flake the tuna with a fork into a bowl. Season with salt
and pepper and 3 tablespoons of the aioli, thinly sliced celery
and parsley. Place tuna in the center of plate and place the poached
tomato on top. Drizzle the salsa verde around the plate and over
the tomatoes. Garnish with a handful of herbed breadcrumbs.
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