SMOKED KANPACHI SALAD WITH BUTTERMILK LIME DRESSING

Recipe Courtesy of Chef Lee Anne Wong
Photography by Anna Kim

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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.