Chef Miles Prescott earned his cooking chops working for some of the country’s top chefs. He is now serving as the executive chef at RioMar, where he continues to build upon his deep interest in Spanish-influenced cuisine.
Louisiana Black Drum With Gulf Shrimp, Maduro Relleno,
Chayote-Coconut Slaw and Salsa Criolla
For the relleno:
4 maduros (ripe plantains), peeled
5 Louisiana Gulf shrimp (36/40 count), peeled and cleaned
1 1/2 tablespoons Nikkei sauce (recipe follows)
Place the plantains between two sheets of parchment paper, and pound them flat. Form the mash into a rectangle.
Poach the shrimp in boiling water for 2 minutes. Cool in an ice bath. When chilled, finely chop the shrimp.
Remove the top sheet of parchment paper. Spread the chopped shrimp in a line across the center of the rectangle of mashed plantain. Pour the Nikkei sauce all over the mash.
Using the bottom parchment paper as a sushi roller, fold the mash over the shrimp and form into a tube resembling a sushi roll. Twist in the ends to pack the roll tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Nikkei Sauce:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon aji amarillo paste
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and whisk together.
For the Chayote-Coconut Relish:
1 chayote (mirliton)
1/2 cup red bell pepper, seeded and finely julienned
1/4 cup red onion, finely julienned
2 tablespoons coconut milk
2 tablespoons canned grated coconut
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
Salt, pepper and chile flakes, to taste
Cut the chayote into quarters. Cut out the core, and slice the remainder on a mandoline at about the width of a house key.
Combine all ingredients, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
For the Salsa Criolla:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, julienned
1 1/2 tablespoons aji amarillo paste
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2/3 cups of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/8 bunch fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sweat the red onion in extra-virgin olive oil over low heat until translucent.
Put the softened onion and olive oil along with all of the ingredients except cilantro into the blender. Blend until smooth.
Add the cilantro, and pulse a few times until the cilantro is chopped up. Season to taste, and refrigerate.
For the fish:
3 tablespoons cooking oil
7-ounce fillet of black drum, with blood line and pin bones removed
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon butter
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Add the cooking oil to a large sauté pan, and heat until the oil begins to smoke slightly.
Season the fish with salt and pepper. Lay the fish into the pan. Cook for 30 seconds, and then add the butter. Immediately move the pan into the preheated 500 degree oven.
Cook for 5 minutes. Fillet should be nearly cooked through but still a little raw on top. Remove the fish from the pan, and place it on a resting rack.
To assemble:
Place the relleno in a 350 degree fryer for 4 minutes. Remove, and sprinkle with salt. Cut the relleno in half, and place in the center of the serving plate.
Encircle the relleno with salsa criolla.
Reheat the sauté pan. Place the fish, raw side down, into the pan, and finish cooking it. Remove it from the pan, and place it, brown side up, on top of the relleno. Top with the chayote-coconut relish.
