Recipe
Pecan-Smoked Black Drum
1 pound black drum filet, trimmed
Cure:
1 cup kosher salt
½ cup granulated sugar
1 Lemon, zest only
5 sprigs fresh thyme, picked
Combine all ingredients for the cure. Stir thoroughly and sprinkle liberally over fish. Wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, rinse cure off and submerge in cold water for 1 hour. Remove and place on a rack in your refrigerator, unwrapped. Allow cured fish to air-dry overnight. The next day, smoke the drum over 100 percent pecan shells for about 20-30 minutes, until fish is flaky and cooked through. Rest fish and refrigerate until needed.
*This can be completed up to 2 days ahead and held in refrigerator.
Sweet Corn Pancake
2 cups corn flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
2 whole eggs
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon hot sauce
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
Combine all dry ingredients until well incorporated. Beat all wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine.
* This may be done 1 day ahead and reserved.
Pepper Jelly
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and rough chopped
10 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded and rough chopped
1½ cups white vinegar
1½ cups apple juice
5 cups granulated sugar
1 box powdered pectin
Place peppers, apple juice and white vinegar in a blender. Purée until smooth and skim foam off top. Pour in to a 1-quart container and reserve. The next day, combine sugar and reserve pepper purée over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Add pectin. Boil for 1 minute only and remove from heat.
* You can either can this mix or reserve up to three weeks in the refrigerator.
Assembly:
Black drum, reserved above
½ cup crème fraîche
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 ounce Louisiana ghost pepper caviar, divided into 2, ½-ounce portions
1 Tablespoon minced red onion
1 Tablespoon minced shallot
1 Tablespoon green onion, green only, very finely chopped
1 teaspoon chives, very finely chopped
¼ cup radishes, ideally a variety, very finely shaved
Using the tines of a fork, flake the drum. Place in a mixing bowl and combine the rest of the ingredients (using 1/2-ounce of the caviar) except radishes. Fold the ingredients together, being careful not to burst caviar. In a pan, pour pancake mix in to 2.5-inch circles. When bubbles being to appear and pop – and stay popped – on top, flip them over. Cook until they’re firm in the center. Pancakes can be kept warm in a low oven for up to 15 minutes.
Place a pancake in the center of the plate. Top with a liberal amount of pepper jelly. Place ¹⁄8 th of the drum mixture on top of each pancake. Top with shaved radishes and a dollop of the remaining caviar.
Carrollton Market
8132 Hampson St.,
252-9928
CarrolltonMarket.com
