Recipe Courtesy of Chef Lee Anne Wong
Photography by Anna Kim
SMOKED KANPACHI SALAD WITH BUTTERMILK LIME DRESSING
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Kanpachi, skinned and fileted, center bloodline removed
- 1 Cup sugar
- 1 Cup kosher salt or sea salt
- 8 Cup Water
- 1 tsp white peppercorns
- 3 Sprigs dill
- 2 Slices lemon wheel, cut in ¼" rounds
- Wood chips for smoking
INGREDIENTS FOR DRESSING - Buttermilk Lime Dressing
- 1 Cup buttermilk
- ¼ Cup lime juice
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1 Cup honey
- ½ Cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
INGREDIENTS FOR SALAD
- 1 Cucumber, thin sliced on mandolin
- ½ Cup radishes (French breakfast, Easter egg, watermelon radishes work well), sliced thin on mandolin
- 1 Kula onion, thin sliced with the grain, rinsed well under cold water
- Sea asparagus
- Pea tendrils
- Dill fronds
- Sea salt
- Lime
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Croutons* (baguette or country bread torn into small pieces and toasted/dried out until golden brown in a 250F oven. )
Instructions
METHOD FOR BRINE
- Combine the sugar, salt, and water in the blender, blend on high until salt and sugar is dissolved.
- Pour into a baking dish/pan, add the white peppercorns, dill and sliced lemon.
- Submerge the Kanpachi filets in the brine and place a paper towel on top of them to completely submerge the filets, then wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight or for 8-12 hours.
METHOD FOR SMOKING
- Remove the filets from the brine and pat dry.
- Soak your wood chips for your smoker (see notes below for alternative methods).
- Remove the interior rack and tray up your filets in a single layer.
- Keep the rack of fish on a sheet tray in the refrigerator until ready to smoke.
- With your smoking lid closed, heat the chips over medium heat until there is a large build up of smoke in the smoker.
- Remove the smoker from the heat and remove the lid, quickly placing the rack of Kanpachi filets into the smoker and closing the lid.
- Allow the Kanpachi to sit in the smoke off the heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove the rack of fish and place back into the fridge, repeat smoking process once or twice more until the fish filets have taken on the desired smoke flavor.
- Keep filets wrapped and refrigerate until ready to slice.
METHOD FOR DRESSING
- Combine all ingredients in a blender or whisk together by hand. Refrigerate until needed.
METHOD TO ASSEMBLE SALAD
- Slice the cured Kanpachi into thin slices on a large plate.
- Layer the cucumber, radish, Kula onion, sea asparagus. tuck slices of Kanpachi amidst the salad, garnish with pea tendrils, dill fronds, and croutons (edible flowers add a nice touch too!). Drizzle with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, and sea salt.