Cobia Poached In Olive Oil With Jicama Avocado And Lemon Basil Granita Recipes

LEMON-BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar with 3 cups water in a medium saucepan. Warm the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from the heat, and cool to room temperature.
• Add the basil to the sugar syrup and muddle the leaves with the base of a wooden spoon. Let steep for 1 hour. Strain the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish (discard the basil). Stir in the lemon juice and vodka, if using. Freeze until the mixture begins to set, about 2 hours. Scrape with a fork to form small crystals in the ice every 30 minutes to an hour until the mixture is fully frozen, about 1 hour more.
• Serve the granita in chilled glasses, garnished with the small basil leaves.

JICAMA AND AVOCADO SALAD

Steps:

• Segment the oranges and cut each segment in half. Squeeze the juice from the oranges' membranes into a bowl. Whisk in the lime juice, coriander, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and olive oil.
• Gently toss the jicama, red onion and oranges with the lime vinaigrette and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with the avocado, cilantro and a sprinkle of salt.

HALIBUT POACHED IN OLIVE OIL WITH BROCCOLI RABE PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli rabe and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked broccoli rabe to an ice bath and let cool, about 3 minutes. Shake off the excess water and transfer to a food processor. Add the garlic, walnuts, honey, salt, and pepper process until smooth. With the machine running gradually pour in the extra-virgin olive oil. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl and stir in the Parmesan. Cover and set aside.;
• In a medium, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil and vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Using a deep-fry thermometer, heat the oil to 200 degrees F. Reduce the heat to low to sustain the 200 degree F temperature. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Gently place the fish in the oil making sure it is submerged beneath the surface. Poach the fish until just cooked through, about 6 to 7 minutes.;
• Place about 1/2 cup of Broccoli Rabe Pesto on a serving plate and gently smooth out to make a bed for the fish. Using a slotted fish spatula gently transfer the cooked fish from the poaching oil to the serving plate, placing the fish on top of the bed of pesto. Serve immediately.;

COBIA WITH NEW SMYRNA CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• For the lardo: Mix together the salt, fennel seed, lavender, meat cure, white pepper and nutmeg. Rub the mixture on all sides of the pork fat and place in a plastic, stainless steel or glass container. Cover with plastic wrap, and then foil, and put a heavy plate or lid on top to force out moisture. Refrigerate for 5 days to cure.
• Remove the plastic wrap and foil, rinse, and pat dry. Let air dry in a bowl for 10 days on a rack in the refrigerator.
• For the steamed clams: Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots and saute until translucent. Add the clams, chile flakes, bay leaves, thyme, some salt and the wine. Cover and steam until the clams open. Cool the cooked clams in the refrigerator; reserve the cooking liquid. Shell the clams and discard the shells.
• For the chowder: Combine the fish fumet, reserved clam cooking liquid and corn cobs in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes to create the chowder broth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
• Ladle 4 cups of the broth into a saucepan with the shell beans, roasted corn kernels, potatoes, butter and some salt, black pepper and chile flakes. Cook until reduced and the broth slightly thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and 1 cup of the shelled, cooked clams.
• For the cobia: Sprinkle the cobia with salt and black pepper. Heat the canola oil in a pan until hot, and then sear the fish, top-side down. When the fish is cooked about halfway through, add the butter, thyme, bay leaves and garlic to the pan. As the butter melts, baste the fish using a large spoon until cooked through.
• For assembly: Slice the lardo paper-thin with a sharp knife and lay the slices over the seared, hot cobia. The lardo will "melt" over the hot fish. Spoon the clam chowder into the bottom of 6 deep single-serving bowls and top with seared fish.

STRAWBERRIES WITH BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Make simple syrup: Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
• Bring 1 cup of the simple syrup, the juice and wine to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Carefully transfer to a blender, add the basil and pulse until smooth (leave the filler cap off to let steam escape). Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into an 8-inch square metal pan. Freeze 3 to 4 hours, scraping the mixture with a fork every 20 minutes to make it slushy; freeze until ready to serve.
• Cut off the tops of the strawberries and trim the bottoms so that they sit upright. Using a small melon baller, scoop out the inside of each strawberry to make a small cup. Fill with a spoonful of the granita.
• Serve immediately.
• Recipe courtesy of Food Network Magazine

AVOCADO WITH LEMON AND OLIVE OIL

Steps:

• Halve avocados lengthwise. Twist halves to separate them, and remove pits. Run a large spoon between the flesh and skin, scooping out the flesh in one piece; discard skins. Slice into wedges, and place avocados on a serving platter. Drizzle with oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.