HungryForever

SEARED PACIFIC SABLE GOURGANE PANISSE, PICKLED RAMPS

THE COMBINATION of cured and traditionally smoked sable is a prized item in the Jewish delis of New York. Here, we combine it with fresh sable (you may know it as black cod) dusted with fine gourgane flour. This gluten-free flour comes from a broad bean cultivated in Quebec. With it, the firm and flaky fish takes on a golden tint, matching the square gourgane flour cakes. Similar to the French panisses or the Italian panelle, usually made with chickpea flour, the cakes feel crispy on the outside and taste creamy on the inside. Traces of savory cream add pungent and lemony fizz, while fava bean puree and pickled ramps remind us that spring has arrived, in all its glory.

Servings

Ingredients

Pickled Ramps (makes extra)

Salt
1leaves bunch wild rampstrimmed, about 12 pieces
Pickling Liquid
1teaspoon sachet (½each black peppercornscoriander seeds, and fennel seeds wrapped in cheesecloth and secured with butcher’s twine)

Crispy Gourgane Cakes

1cup gourgane flourwe recommend Société-Orignal
teaspoon ¼salt
1tablespoon lemon oil
1tablespoon olive oil
1 splash of Tabasco sauce
Freshly ground white pepper

Savory Cream

Savory Jus

cup ¾Chicken Jus
2 sprigs savory

Fava Bean Puree and Fricassée

Salt
4cups fresh fava beanspeeled
1cup savory creamreserved from above
Freshly ground white pepper
1tablespoon butter
1tablespoon chicken stock
15 fresh savory leaveschopped

To Finish

Canola oil for frying
Salt
2 Spring onionstrimmed and halved lengthwise
3tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground white pepper
3tablespoons sheep’s milk yogurtwe recommend Old Chatham Sheepherding Company
6ounces smoked sablefishcut into 2-inch-long × ¼-inch-wide batons
1pounds ½fresh black cod filletcut into 8 approximately 2½ × ½-inch portions, sablefish
cup ½gourgane flour
2 sprigs thyme
1clove garlicpeeled and smashed
1tablespoon butter
2teaspoons thinly sliced chives
1teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
cup ¼green pea shoots
cup ¼micro savory leaves

Instructions

For the Pickled Ramps

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and place a bowl of ice water on the side. Prepare the ramps by trimming the roots and cutting them from the stem end into 4-inch lengths; rinse with cold water. Boil the ramps for 30 seconds, then chill in the ice water, strain, and pat dry. Place in a heatproof container. Pour the pickling liquid into a small saucepan, add the sachet, and bring to a simmer. Pour over the top of the ramps; cover and store, chilled.

For the Crispy Gourgane Cakes

Combine 1¼ cups of water with the gourgane flour and salt in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour 1½ cups of water into a medium saucepan, bring to a simmer, and slowly whisk in the gourgane mixture. Cook over low heat for 1 hour, covered, stirring often, making sure not to brown the bottom of the pan. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse with the lemon oil, olive oil, and Tabasco sauce; season with pepper. While still hot, pour into an 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pan and using a small offset spatula, spread the top into an even layer. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until firm. Turn the mixture onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares; store, chilled.

For the Savory Cream

In a small saucepan, combine the savory, garlic, and cream and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, cover, and infuse for 20 minutes. Remove the savory and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and chill. Reserve 1 cup for the fava bean puree. Up to 30 minutes before serving, whip the remaining ¼ cup cream to stiff peaks.

For the Savory Jus

Transfer the chicken jus to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the savory, cover, and infuse for 20 minutes. Pick and discard the savory and keep warm.

For the Fava Bean Puree and Fricassée

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and place a bowl of ice water on the side. Add the fava beans and boil until tender, about 2 minutes, then chill in the ice water. Pour the reserved 1 cup of savory cream into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Transfer to a blender with 3 cups of the fava beans and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pass through a fine-meshed sieve into a small saucepan and keep warm.
In a small sauté pan, bring the butter and chicken stock to a simmer. Add the remaining 1 cup fava beans and the savory and toss until heated through and glazed. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

To Finish

Fill one-third of a medium saucepan with canola oil and heat to 350°F. Heat a grill or cast-iron grill pan over high heat.
Deep-fry the gourgane cakes until crispy. Drain on a paper towel–lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
Brush the halved spring onions with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill them on the cut sides until well-marked, turn over, and continue cooking until tender, about 1 more minute.
In a small bowl, season the yogurt with salt and pepper, add the smoked sablefish, and roll in the yogurt to coat.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Season the cod on all sides with salt and pepper and sprinkle with gourgane flour to coat. Sear the cod on all sides, about 30 seconds each, until golden brown. Add the thyme, garlic, and butter. Baste the butter over the fish, turning it occasionally until it is cooked, 3 to 4 minutes more. Strain onto a paper towel–lined plate.
For each serving, place a spoonful of fava bean puree into the center of a warm dinner plate and top with a spoonful of fava bean fricassée. Place 2 pieces of cod on opposite sides of the plate and top each with a smoked sablefish baton; sprinkle the baton with chives and cracked black pepper. Rest 2 pickled ramps against the fish and place a grilled spring onion in between them. Garnish the plate with a few pea shoots and micro savory leaves. Swirl the whipped savory cream into the jus and spoon onto the plate.