Tea Smoked Sturgeon Food

BUTTER POACHED STURGEON

Steps:

• Whisk together shallots, vanilla bean, bay leaf, salt and stock and bring to simmer. Slowly whisk in butter and warm to 145 degrees F. Place sturgeon in butter and make sure butter remains at 145 degrees F. Poach for 12 minutes. Remove from liquid and garnish with watercress, onions, and capers.

STURGEON WITH CAPER, OLIVE AND TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat saute pan over medium high heat (hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick) until just warm and add the olive oil. Let oil heat and place fillets in the pan. Let sides brown for 1 minute or 2, then add onion. Stir until onion starts to become translucent. Add garlic and rosemary. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until garlic just begins to brown. Flip fillets over to brown. Add olives and stir in. Then, add capers. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes, then, add white wine. Increase heat for a few minutes to reduce wine. Reduce heat to medium and add tomato sauce. Stir to combine all ingredients and let sit for a few minutes. Flip fillets so that both sides are coated with sauce. Fish is done when there is resistance to pressure. (Check also with your seafood market person about recommended cooking times for the fish.) Freshly ground pepper can be added during the cooking, but salting the dish isn't necessary since there is a lot of salt in the olives and capers. Serve with rice, pasta, or couscous. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.

STURGEON KULEBIAKA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Season fish portions with salt and pepper. Place 1/2 of an egg sliced in the middle of a 6 by 4-inch piece of puff pastry, then cabbage, cooked. Top with basmati rice mixed with mushroom duxelle, fines herbs and last the fish. Make sure that each layer is very even.
• Moisten the edges of the pastry with a bit of egg wash. Pull the sides up on top of the fish, pinch together, then repeat with the ends. Repeat for each individual portion. Decorate the top with fish shaped pastry cut-outs, wash with egg wash. Bake for 16 minutes.
• Heat asparagus in butter with a mashed garlic clove. Season lightly with salt and pepper and add chervil. Place the asparagus in the middle of the plate without the butter. Cut the fish portion in 1/2 and place on top of the asparagus so that the cut sides show. Remove the garlic clove from the reserved butter and add in the caviar. Mix the caviar gently and spoon evenly to sauce each plate.
• Melt butter in saucepan. Add minced onions and saute until translucent. Add mushrooms and porcini and cook until liquid has evaporated. Add vermouth and slowly cook until evaporated. Add sour cream, bechamel, chives, and spices.
• Bring water to a boil with shallot and salt and simmer until shallot is tender. Whisk in butter and lemon juice.

SMOKED STURGEON CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bake the potatoes until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool, then scoop out the flesh. Pass through a sieve or ricer. Mix with the eggs, fish, butter, chives, parsley, and pepper. Shape into small patties and dredge in the bread crumbs. Fry the sturgeon cakes in batches, 3 minutes on each side, until browned. They may be held in a 300 degree F oven.
• For the Garnish: Mix the sour cream and chives together. Serve a dollop on the side of the fish cakes, sprinkled with sumakh and topped with sevruga.