American Red Snapper
Carolina Gold Rice, Fennel Fumet, Smoked Trout Roe
Chef Michael Fotjasek of Olamaie | Austin, TX
Yield: 4 servings
Adapted by StarChefs | October 2018
INGREDIENTS
Fennel Fumet:
Vegetable oil
Bones from 3 large fish (no gills), rinsed in cold running water for 1 hour
250 grams fennel stalks
15 grams black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 kilogram plus 60 grams thinly sliced onion
300 grams dry white wine
40 grams thinly sliced fennel bulb
2 tablespoons lemon juice
8 ounces fish trim
2 egg whites
Carolina Gold Rice:
2 cups Carolina Gold rice, rinsed
½ ounce butter
Salt
To Assemble and Serve:
Butter
Lemon juice
Clarified butter
4 snapper fillets
Finely chopped fennel fronds
Finely chopped parsley
Shaved fennel, curled in ice bath
4 teaspoons smoked trout roe
METHOD
For the Fennel Fumet:
In a stock pot, heat oil and add bones, fennel stalks, peppercorns, bay leaf, and 1 kilogram onion. Sweat until onion is translucent. Deglaze with wine, cover with water, and bring to a very slow simmer. Cook 45 minutes. Through a chinois, strain fumet; cool. In a pot, clarify fumet using fennel bulb, lemon juice, fish trim, egg whites, and the remaining onions. When fumet is clear, set a chinois lined with cheesecloth in a large bain marie or similar container. Without disturbing the raft, ladle the clarified Fumet into the chinois. When strained, cover and refrigerate.
For the Carolina Gold Rice:
In a saucepot, combine rice, butter, and 3½ cups water; season with salt. Over highest possible heat, bring water to boil. Decrease heat and lightly simmer, covered, for 7 minutes. Stir once, re-cover, and cook 7 minutes more. Transfer cooked rice to a half-sheet tray and spread in an even layer; cool.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a small saucepot, warm Fennel Fumet. In a separate pot, warm 1½ cups Caroline Gold Rice and ½ ounce butter, adding a little water to loosen rice. Heat until butter melts and water has emulsified. In another pot, with a little more butter and water, make a beurre monté; season with lemon juice. In a sauté pan, heat clarified butter and sear snapper fillet, basting with beurre monté. Stir fennel fronds and parsley into rice. Place rice into the center of a shallow bowl. Pool some Fennel Fumet around rice. Place snapper atop rice. Garnish with curly fennel. To finish, place 1 teaspoon of roe in fumet.
