Surubi with Basmati Rice
Basmati rice and fava beans accompany fillets of surubi. They are accented with eggplant curry and sun-dried tomatoes. Surubi is an Amazonian fish with no fins. It has a leathery skin, and is very fatty -- the darker the skin, the fattier, and the more intense the flavor. Chef Massey suggests the closest substitute for this unusual fish is conger eel. He marinates the surubi in soy sauce, which partially "cooks" the flesh; he adds no salt as the soy sauce itself is very salty.
Ingredients
- Surubi fillet - four, 6- to 8-ounce, skin on (alt. conger eel)
- Soy Sauce - 3 cups
- Eggplant Curry
- Eggplants - 3 medium
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Gingerroot - 1, peeled and chopped
- Shallots - 3 large, chopped
- Garlic Cloves - 3, halved
- Juice of 2 limes
- Cilantro Leaves - 3/4 cup
- Zest of 2 limes - dried and minced
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Vegetables
- Fava Beans - 1 cup, cooked and peeled
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Chicken Stock - 1/2 cup
- Basmati Rice - 1 cup, cooked
- Virgin olive oil - 1 tablespoon
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Sun-dried tomatoes - 6, drained and cut into large pieces
Instructions
To prepare the surubi: Put the soy sauce in a large non-aluminum pan and place the surubi in the pan; turn the fish to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate 6 to 8 hours in the refrigerator, occasionally turning the fish to evenly marinate both sides.
To prepare the curry: Preheat the oven to 250 F. Rub the whole eggplants with olive oil and put in a baking dish. Bake 10 to 15 minutes. Remove; cut in half and scoop out the inside, discarding the seed portion. Put the pulp in a bowl. Add the ginger, shallots, garlic, half the lime juice, and the cilantro to the pulp. Process with a stick blender until almost smooth; leave a little texture. Mix in the remaining lime juice and the lime zest; season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. If you are not using it within a half hour, store in the refrigerator; return to room temperature for service.
To cook the fish: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Drain the fish and pat dry with paper towels. Score the skin diagonally, then crosshatch with more scoring. Heat the olive oil in a large, ovenproof saute pan or skillet over high heat. Sear the fish, skin-side down, until well browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn and sear on the flesh side, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle the skin with salt and pepper. Bake 3 to 4 minutes, until the fish is opaque throughout. Remove and set aside.
To prepare the vegetables: Warm the fava beans in 1 tablespoon of the butter and the chicken stock over medium-high heat. Add the cooked rice, remaining butter, and olive oil, and gently mix with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve: Put the eggplant curry in a pastry bag fitted with a large tip and draw a large zig-zag on each warmed serving plate. Mound the rice and fava bean mixture in the center of the plate. Lean one fillet, skin side out, against each mound of rice. Garnish each plate with sun-dried tomato pieces.
