Black Rice
Tomato, Cobia, and Toasted Nori
Chef Nick Janutol of Forest Grill | Detroit, MI
Yield: 4 servings
"I love rice. It's my favorite food. My goal was to have a rice dish on the menu that would blow people's minds. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Last winter, I did an anchovy and squash risotto, but I needed something for summer. Tomatoes were obvious, and I had eaten a dish in New York City at Estela—Calasparra rice with squid ink and romanesco—and I liked the nuttiness, and went straight for for the sesame oil. The fattiness and texture of the cobia mellows out the sesame oil, as well as the strong flavor of the tomatoes" —Chef Nick Janutol
Adapted by StarChefs | November 2016
INGREDIENTS
Black Rice:
900 grams black rice, soaked for 1 hour in warm water
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3.6 liters water
50 milliliters rice vinegar
Salt
Tomato Purée:
1 kilogram tomatoes, halved
105 grams sesame oil
Thinly sliced garlic
2 bay leaves
Salt
Sugar
To Assemble and Serve:
Grapeseed oil
Toasted black sesame seeds
Sixteen 1/4-inch-thick slices cobia
Maldon sea salt
METHOD
For the Black Rice:
In a rondeau, combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour, decrease heat, and cover. Cook, covered, for 1 hour more. Pour mixture onto a sheet pan lined with a silicone mat; cool overnight.
For the Tomato Purée:
Heat oven to 275°F. Arrange tomatoes on a sheet tray lined with a silicone mat. Drizzle with 30 grams sesame oil, and roast for 1 hour. Remove and discard skins from roasted tomatoes. Place 1 sprig thyme and 1 slice garlic on each tomato half. Drizzle with 70 grams sesame oil. Scatter bay leaves over tomatoes, and season with salt and sugar; roast for 25 minutes. Remove bay leaves and transfer tomatoes to a blender; blend on high. Heat remaining 5 grams sesame oil and, while the blender is running, add to tomatoes. Keep warm.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a cast iron skillet over high flame, heat grapeseed oil. Add Black Rice, spreading it out.
