This week was super simple and for that, I thank Top Chef and the episode winner, Tiffani Faison. I have had a hard time doing this Top Chef challenge on a weekly basis, as I have been traveling to NY from DC every weekend since the beginning of June (and I have 2 more weeks of traveling), so it has been hard for me to cook on the weekends. But I am not traveling anymore after the weekend of the 10th until I move back home to NY on August 13 (I'm not counting down the days or anything).
For this week's challenge, the cheftestants were assigned the task of creating a gourmet meal that could be reheated in the microwave. Now, if I am not mistaken, this was before the blatent GE/Glad Bag/Dr. Pepper/Etc/Etc/Etc product placement, so this may have been a geniune challenge idea by the producers. But I could be wrong.
The cheftestants were given a budge of $50 and then had 90 minutes to cook, package, and refrigerate their dishes. The next day, they have 10 minutes to prepare and plate their dishes to serve to the Oakland East Bay Junior League. Tiffani's simple dish of Mirin Glazed Escobar (Seabass) won the ladies and the judges over.
It won me over, too.
I cannot believe how simple this dish is. It called for some exotic ingredients such as Shaoxing Wine (huh?) and purple shisho sprigs (oh, I'm fresh out of my batch of purple shisho sprigs...), so I improvised. None of the fishmongers (favorite. word. ever.) were selling sea bass or any fish remotely like it, so I just got mahi mahi.
10 minutes people. A delicious dish in ten. minutes. And suprisingly, even though I'm sure the sea bass was fantastic in the microwave as well, this fish held up very well to being reheated. Tasty, tasty, tasty.
Top Chef, I love you. And next week's dish scares me. I don't think it will take 10 minutes. It has about 30 ingredients, 1 of which is date syrup. Where do I get date syrup???
Next Week: Moroccan Cubano Pork Sandwich
Mirin Glazed Escobar adapted from Top Chef
6 tbsp mirin
1/4 cup white miso paste
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup sherry
Two 6 oz pieces mahi mahi
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 fresh parsley
In a cointainer large enough to hold the fish, combine the mirin, miso paste, teriyaki sauce, and shaxing. Put the fish in the marinade and refrigerate, covered, overnight.
In a medium saute` pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Remove the fish from the marinade, scraping off the excess, and pat dry. Put the fish in the pan and cook, without turning, for three minutes until well browned on the bottom. Turn and cook the other side for about 3 minutes until well browned and just cooked through (the fish will flake easily when prodded with a knife). Turn the heat down to medium if the fish is browning too quickly.
Place the fish on serving plates and garnish with purpole shiso and salad burnet sprigs. Serve immediately.
Maybe you could cook dates in a simple syrup then reduce and puree some of the fruit with the syrup? That is a very good question but back to the fish. It looks and sounds like a welcome change from the marathon of salmon we have been eating.
Yumm
AmyRuth
Posted by: AmyRuth | July 02, 2009 at 09:40 AM
Ten Minutes...this would be one to keep in the arsenal for 10 minutes! Great shot of your dish...looks really wonderful. These posts are so much fun!
Posted by: Kayte | July 02, 2009 at 09:44 AM
That dish looks so fantastic!! Plus, you can't beat 10 minutes!
Posted by: Tracey | July 02, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Not only am I also out of shisho sprigs but I only have red miso paste. Hmmpph! Hope it still works. How did you get that fish so beautifully browned? No matter what I do, mine always seems to stick or come out look anemic. Hmmmpphh! [BTW, those are my grumpy old lady sounds, thanks to your tweet about that kid who didn't know what a Walkman was!]
Posted by: Tangled Noodle | July 02, 2009 at 10:02 AM
You just keep rockin' it out Top Chef style!
Posted by: CarolPeterman | July 02, 2009 at 11:55 AM
Look at that gorgeous fish! The glaze sounds fabulous! Good luck next week - I'm looking forward to seeing the pork sandwich!
Posted by: Natasha - 5 Star Foodie | July 02, 2009 at 02:10 PM
Mmmm...this looks fantastic. I'm liking the glaze a lot. That looks pan-fried to perfection. Can I move in with you and Jack? I don't take a lot of room. ;-)
Posted by: jenn | July 02, 2009 at 02:48 PM
Mirin & miso on black cod is also amazing. It's like eating sweet pieces of buttery fishy goodness. Do try!
Posted by: The Duo Dishes | July 02, 2009 at 03:00 PM
Do you have the Top Chef cookbook or use the ones on the site? I have found the on site recipes to be really off in measurements, etc and was wondering if the cookbook did any better?
Posted by: laurel | July 02, 2009 at 05:17 PM
The fish looks delicious! This definitely wouldn't be a simple dish for me. Every time I cook fish, it breaks down because I'm not gentle enough with it.
Posted by: Steph | July 02, 2009 at 05:28 PM
Your photo is gorgeous and is causing me to salivate. This fish sounds so moist and flavorful. Long live Top Chef!
Posted by: Cookin' Canuck | July 02, 2009 at 06:26 PM
Your picture is beautiful. It sounds delicious!
Posted by: Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction | July 02, 2009 at 07:53 PM
Mahi mahi is one of my favorite fish....yours looks delicious and I love the flavor!
Great job as always!
Posted by: Erica | July 03, 2009 at 07:59 AM
This looks like a simple and tasty dish! I don't eat fish but I've passed the recipe along to my friend who I think would enjoy it.
Posted by: Ashley | July 03, 2009 at 07:48 PM
Mmmmm, that looks amazing!
~ingrid
Posted by: ingrid | July 04, 2009 at 09:07 PM
Oooops, Happy 4th!
~ingrid
Posted by: ingrid | July 04, 2009 at 09:08 PM
10 minutes? I'm impressed! Looks like it came out perfectly!
Posted by: cheffresco | July 06, 2009 at 08:34 AM
This looks absolutely incredible!!!!
Posted by: Eliana | July 08, 2009 at 12:23 PM
That mahi mahi looks SO good!
Stop by my blog when you have a moment...there's an award waiting for you.:)
Posted by: Jennifer | July 08, 2009 at 03:33 PM
Just for today I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress becomingly, talk low, act courteously, criticize not one bit，and try not to improve or regulate anybody but myself.
Posted by: coach purses | July 17, 2010 at 12:04 AM