Black Sea Toast Recipes

BLACK SEA BASS CRUSTED WITH SPICES, TOMATO, AND VEGETABLE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• For the vinaigrette: Saute sliced mushrooms in butter until caramelized. Add honey, soy, lemon juice, and vinegar. Add water and simmer slowly for 30 minutes. Strain, pressing out all juice.
• Make brown butter with salted butter. Place pan in ice water to stop cooking. Whisk into mushroom broth.
• Cook fingerling potato, peel and cut into thirds. Set aside.
• Cut fish with skin into 3 pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Dip in cream, then spice mixture, then flour. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan and saute until crisp.
• Heat vinaigrette with potatoes, fava beans, and onions. Add tomatoes and herbs last. Pour into bowl and add fish.
• Toast hazelnuts, almonds, coriander, sesame seeds, and peppercorns in a hot pan and grind.

BLACK SEA TOAST

Steps:

• Shell the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Push the whites and the yolks separately through a sieve and set aside in individual bowls.
• Rinse the chopped onion in a colander under cold water. (Rinsed onion is milder in flavor and will not discolor.) Drain, transfer to a kitchen towel and press to remove any excess water.
• Trim the crust from the bread slices. Spoon some caviar around the edges of each slice, spreading it gently to create a 1/2-inch border of caviar. Inside this border, right next to the roe, spread the sieved egg white on the bread to form a ring that is 1/2 inch wide. Inside this ring, spread the sieved egg yolk to form another 1/2-inch ring. Inside that, spread the chopped onions to form a 1/2-inch ring. In the center of each slice, place 1 tablespoon of sour cream.
• Garnish each slice with a few grains of caviar and the chives. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

SAUTEED BLACK SEA BASS WITH CAPERS AND HERB-BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Pat fillets dry; slash skin side of each crosswise in 2-inch intervals. Season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour to evenly coat, shaking off excess.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. When oil shimmers and wisps of smoke rise from skillet, add fish in a single layer, skin-sides down. Reduce heat to medium; cook, undisturbed,until skin is crisp and flesh is opaque halfway up sides and almost cooked through, 5 to 7minutes, depending on thickness.
• Flip and continue cooking until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to plates, skin-sides up. Add vermouth to skillet; boil until mostly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add capers and butter; cook until butter simmers and sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in herbs. Return fish to skillet, skin-side up; spoon butter sauce over top. Serve immediately.