Sweet Potato Noodle in Shiitake Dashi with Branzini, Asparagus & Bok Choy
PREP DETAILS
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS
For the sweet potato noodles:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled
4 cups water
1 ⅔ tsp salt
2 cups ice
For the shiitake dashi:
16 ounces shiitake caps (no stems)
8 cups water
One 4-by- 4 inch piece dried kombu
½ cup sake
½ cup mirin
2-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
For the blanched vegetables:
6 stalks of asparagus, peeled and cut into 3 equal pieces
3 pieces baby bok choy, quartered
4 cups water
1 ⅔ tsp salt
For the tofu-garlic butter:
24 garlic cloves
1 cup olive oil
1 pound of silken tofu
Salt
For the finished dish:
½ cup olive oil
1 whole Branzini prepared into 2 fillets, each cut into 4 pieces and deboned
Salt
5 scallions, sliced and divided (reserve 1 ounce for garnish)
2-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
Cooked bok choy, from above
Cooked asparagus, from above
20 ounces sweet potato noodles, from above
4 shiitake mushrooms, from above, julienned
½ cup tofu-garlic butter, from above
4 cups shiitake dashi, from above
10 sprigs of cilantro, leaves only
DIRECTIONS
1. Start by making the tofu-garlic butter: In a small pot, heat up the oil and garlic slowly over the low heat and cook till the garlic is soft with no color. Once the garlic is soft, remove from heat and allow the garlic to cool in the oil. Once cool, store the garlic confit and oil in a container and reserve for the tofu butter.
2. In a blender, add the silken tofu and 4 ounces of the garlic confit and emulsify on low speed gradually adding 4 ounces of the garlic oil. Once the oil has been blended season the butter with salt and reserve for the noodle dish.
3. To make the sweet potato noodles, attach the spiralizer to the KitchenAid and create noodle strands of the sweet potato. When the noodles are complete, add the water and salt to a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Place the ice in a bowl and add cold water to create an ice bath for the noodles. Once the water has come to a boil, add the strands and blanch for 60 seconds in the water. Remove the noodles from the pot and place them in the ice bath to cool down. Once the noodles are cool, remove from the water and reserve for the dish.
4. To make the shiitake dashi, combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a light simmer for 45 minutes. Strain the broth, reserving the mushrooms. Julienne mushrooms and use for the finished dish.
5. To blanch the vegetables, add water and salt to a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Place the ice in a bowl and add cold water to create an ice bath. Once the water has come to a boil, add the vegetables and blanch for 30 seconds. Remove and place in the ice bath. Once cool, remove the vegetables and reserve for the finished dish.
6. To assemble the finished dish, warm olive oil in two sauté pans (one is for the fish, the other is for the noodles).
7. Season the fish with salt on both sides and then place the filets of fish in the sauté pan, skin down. Working over medium heat, allow the fish skin to get crispy.
8. In the other sauté pan, add the aromatics (scallion, ginger, and garlic) and cook this lightly—you don’t want them to color—then add the bok choy, asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, and lastly, the noodles. Combine the vegetables and the noodles together and finish with the tofu butter and season with salt.
9. Once the skin is crispy on the fish, flip the fish to the flesh side to continue cooking under low flame.
10. Warm up the broth over medium heat. Distribute the noodles equally between the four bowls and pour the dashi over top. Remove your fish from the pan and place on the noodles. Garnish with leaves of cilantro and the reserved scallions.