Sherry-Cured Smelt

Sauce Gribiche, Pickled Mustard Seed, Herb Oil, Salmon Roe, and Sherry Almonds

Chef Elizabeth Kenyon of Rupee Bar | Seattle

Adapted by StarChefs | October 2020

INGREDIENTS:

Cured Smelt:
2 pounds smelt
Kosher salt, 2% of fish weight
Sherry Vinegar from Spain
Olive oil
6 garlic cloves, cleaned
5 whole arbol chilis
1 sprig rosemary

Salmon Roe:
Salmon egg sacks
2 tablespoons Sherry Vinegar from Spain
1 cup salt
3 cups cold water

Sauce “Gribiche”:
2 bunches parsley, chiffonade 
1 bunch chives, small chop
1 bunch oregano, picked, chopped  
1 bunch mexican tarragon, or regular tarragon, picked, chiffonade
2 tablespoons Pickled Mustard Seed 
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 cup corn, whole, raw 
¼ cup capers, chopped 
2 smaller green chili i.e. shisitio, aji crystal, serrano, sliced thin
1 teaspoon Sherry Vinegar from Spain, to taste
¼ teaspoon sugar, to taste
Lemon juice, to taste 
Maldon salt, to taste 

Pickled Mustard Seed:
½ cup brown mustard 
½ cup yellow mustard 
½ cup sugar 
1 cup Sherry Vinegar from Spain
1 cup water

Herb Oil: 
1 bunch chives 
1 bunch parsley 
1 pint olive oil 
1 pinch citric acid 
1 teaspoon salt 

Vinegar Almonds: 
2 cups almonds
Olive oil, to taste
Sherry Vinegar from Spain
Espelette
Kosher salt

METHOD:

For the Cured Smelt:
Clean the smelt. Remove the head and keep the backbone attached. Rinse lightly and set aside. Lay the fish in a hotel pan, skin side down. Sprinkle evenly with salt and let sit in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and pour Sherry Vinegar from Spain carefully over the fish, until just covered. Shake the pan lightly to make sure the skin is released from the pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove the fish from the vinegar and place in a clean, plastic container with olive oil to cover. Add garlic, arbol chilis and rosemary. 

For the Salmon Roe:
Push the egg sacks through a wire rack over a hotel pan, squeezing them to release into the pan below. Remove the eggs from the membrane and place them in a china cap. Rinse with cold water. Clean through a strainer as many times as necessary. When the eggs run clear and are separated nicely, place them in a chinois. Make the brine by combining the Sherry Vinegar from Spain, salt and water. Make sure the brine is cold before submerging the eggs. Dunk the eggs in the brine and set a timer for 2:30 minutes. Taste eggs and add back to brine, if necessary. Place in a glass jar, cover and store on ice.

For the Sauce “Gribiche”:
Chop all ingredients nicely and mix together. Adjust seasoning as needed.

For the Pickled Mustard Seed:
Bring all ingredients to a simmer and reduce until desired consistency.

For the Herb Oil: 
Blend all ingredients in a blender thoroughly. Refrigerate immediately. Do not overheat.

For the Vinegar Almonds:
Toast the almonds. Place in a large bowl while hot and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Toss with Sherry Vinegar from Spain, espelette and kosher salt. Taste and add more Sherry Vinegar from Spain, olive oil and spices as needed. 

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