The home stretch is here! After enjoying more than a month off, the final 6 weeks of class begin tomorrow. After these classes, I have final exams and then I am officially done with my culinary school program. Pretty crazy stuff…it has really flown by. As I was preparing my camera to be called into action again, I realized that I never got around to posting pictures from our Fusion 2 class right before break.
Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos with Maui Fruit Salsa and Jicama Pumpkin Seed Slaw:
These were really good, and I’m not saying that just because I helped to make them. The salsa contained mango, pineapple, cilantro, shredded coconut, red pepper, red onion and a whole mix of spices including chili powder and cumin. It was a great complement to the cool, crunchy jicama slaw and the chipotle-marinated fish.
Curry Crusted Frog Legs with Grilled Banana, Coconut Milk and Mint Oil:
I’ve had frog legs a few times in the past; most of the time I think they taste like dark meat chicken. These were no different, however, I think they must have been of a relatively high quality because they also had a certain swampy, gaminess to them which I honestly didn’t really care for too much.
Grilled T-Bone with Blue Cheese Risotto, Rajas Sauce and Walnut Pesto:
This dish was really good. The T-bone steak was perfectly cooked and the rajas sauce that accompanied it, made from a grilled onion, a roasted poblano pepper, a roasted red pepper, and some roasted tomatoes and garlic went very well with it. The blue cheese was added to the risotto right as it finished cooking and also complemented the steak very well.
“Asian Fish and Chips”:
This dish was comprised of salmon pieces, coated with a sesame seed batter and deep fried. The salmon was served along in cups made from thinly sliced and deep fried sweet potato and served on a slaw made from cabbage, carrots, red pepper and cilantro, tossed with a homemade ginger-flavored mayonnaise.
Pan Smoked Chilean Sea Bass with Chinese Spring Roll, Sprout Salad and Apple Juice Butter Sauce:
The fish was the real star of this dish. It was cooked in a homemade jury-rigged pan smoker that would make MacGyver proud. A 12 inch skillet was covered with a layer of tin foil to which apple wood chips were laid on top. A small amount of water was placed in the pan over the wood chips, then a cooling rack was laid over the pan, straddling the wood chips. The fish was placed on top of the cooling rack and covered with a large bowl to help keep the heat in. The skillet was placed over medium heat and as the water began to steam, the steam permeated the wood chips, releasing some of their flavor. This resulting steam is what cooked the fish. Pretty clever. The resulting fish was super moist and tender and had a nice hint of smoke flavor to it.
