Grilled Escolar with Thyme Butter

Ingredients

  • 4 (6-8 ounce) Fish Filets
Garlic Smashed Potatoes:
  • 4 cups peeled and diced russet potatoes
  • 3 cloves of roasted garlic smashed with a fork or in food processor
  • ¼ to ½ pound (1 - 2 cubes) Challenge Unsalted Butter
  • 1 to 2 cups milk
  • salt and white pepper to taste
Thyme Butter:
  • ½ pound (2 cubes) Challenge Unsalted Butter, softened
  • 1 to 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon finely minced shallot or red onion
  • White wine
  • salt and white pepper to tasteTHYME DIJON VINAIGRETTE:
  • 2 Tablespoons Grey Poupon Mustard or similar style mustard
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • juice from ½ lemon
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar or honey
  • ½ cup mild flavored olive oil
Fresh Vegetables:
  • Baby carrots
  • Spinach leaves
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Sliced or quartered mushrooms
  • Julienned squash, if desired

Directions

Fish Fillets:

Grill or bake to desired doneness.

Garlic Smashed Potatoes:

Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender then drain. Combine potatoes, garlic, butter and milk and blend until light and fluffy, then adjust salt and pepper. Cover and hold until ready for service.

Thyme Butter:

Sauté minced shallot or red onion in white wine to yield 1 Tablespoon reduced infused wine. Whip thyme, lemon juice, and shallot (or onion) into the softened butter. Adjust salt and pepper. Transfer to waxed paper or plastic wrap and roll into log if you are not going to use immediately. Then slice off a ½ inch per portion and allow to melt on top of fish filet. If the butter is to be used immediately keep at room temperature or slightly chilled until ready to serve.

Thyme Dijon Vinaigrette:

Place mustard, thyme, lemon juice and sugar (or honey) in a bowl and thoroughly whip them. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, then adjust seasoning.

Fresh Vegetables:

Sauté or blanch these vegetables until crisp tender then toss with a few tablespoons of vinaigrette per portion.

Presentation:

Place mashed potatoes in center of plate. Arrange vegetables around potatoes and drizzle a little vinaigrette on plate.

Place fish on top of mashed potatoes and top with thyme butter and serve.

Yield:

2-4 Servings

My inspiration for this recipe was to use the thyme and Dijon mustard in different ways -- as a butter to melt slowly over the fish filet and secondly, as a vinaigrette that the warm vegetable medley is tossed with. Playing with the senses and unifying the dish with these elements.... Chef Karl Merten

Source:

Executive Chef and Owner Karl Merten of Café 225, Visalia, California