Miles Prescott, Chef de Cuisine
Louisiana Black Drum & Blue Crab
Black Drum with Blue Crab Relish, Louisiana Jasmine Rice,
Crispy Pork Belly, Brown Butter and Pecans
Yield 8 Servings
For the Pork Belly:
.5 lb Pork Belly (preferably small square block, equal parts meat & fat)
2 T Kosher Salt
1 T Sugar
1 t Black Pepper
1 t Garlic (rasped or minced)
pinch Clove (ground)
Combine all ingredients except the pork into a curing salt. Rub pork liberally with the curing salt. Place it in a ziploc bag and let cure in refrigerator overnight. Rinse well before using. If planning a day ahead is not an option, substitute thickly sliced bacon.
For the Jasmine Rice:
3 C Louisiana Jasmine/Red Rice Blend
4.5 C Water
.5 lb Pork Belly (cured overnight – see above)
1 ea Med. Red Onion (minced)
3 T Garlic (thinly sliced)
1 ea Red & Green Bell Pepper (small dice)
3 T Parsley (chopped)
2T White Wine
1.5 C Farmer’s Market fresh Beans or Peas (omit if not available)
Pinch Crushed Chili Flake
Pinch Fennel seed (ground)
Salt & Pepper
Slice Pork Belly into 1/4″x1/4″x1″ pieces. Render pork belly in 1 gal. pot, draining fat occasionally. Add vegetables, spices, & beans or peas. Saute in small amount of rendered fat. Add wine & reduce. Add water & bring to a boil. Add rice & parsley. Simmer 25 minutes. Let stand, covered for 10 minutes. Season to taste. Rendered Pork should account for most of the salinity
For the Crab Relish:
1 lb Louisiana Jumbo Lump Crab
1.5 C Lousiana Pecans (chopped & toasted)
2 Pears (sliced into thin slivers)
1 Fennel Bulb (shaved)
2 T Shallots (minced)
2 T Fresh Basil & Parsley
2 Oranges (zest from)
1 pinch Coriander (ground)
1T Steen’s Cane Vinegar
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Mix all ingredients. Season to taste.
For the Black Drum:
4 lb Black Drum filets (skinned, cleaned of bloodline, and portioned to 8 seven oz. pieces)
Salt & Pepper
6 T Peanut Oil
Using a large saute pan, cook the fillets 2-3 at a time. Season them on both sides with salt and a small amount of pepper. Wait until the pan is very hot. Add the oil and lay the fillets side by side, presentation side down first. Allow the fillets to sear at high heat without moving them until the edges are noticeably browned. At this point, flip them over and reduce heat by half to allow the fillets to cook through. Depending upon the thickness of the fillet, this could take 3 to 6 minutes.
For the Brown Butter Sauce:
2 Oranges (juiced)
1 Lemon (juiced)
1 lb Smith Creamery Butter
1 T Garlic (thinly sliced)
1 T Shallot (minced)
1 C Arugula (tightly packed)
2 T Pine Nuts (toasted)
2T Fresh Basil (chiffonade)
Pinch Nutmeg (ground)
Salt & Pepper
Brown butter in saute pan over 3/4 heat, gently swirling to help the milk solids in the butter brown evenly. Combine all other ingredients in a blender. Slowly add browned butter into the blender, allowing it to emulsify. Remember that the hot butter will sizzle when it encounters the citrus juice, so keep a safe distance when you drizzle in the browned butter. Season to taste.
Method:
Cure pork belly the day ahead. Follow steps for Jasmine rice. While it is cooking, line up the rest of ingredients & equipment for cooking the Black Drum and for preparing the sauce. Cook the fish and finish making the sauce immediately once the fish is done.
For Plating:
Start by placing a scoop of the rice and pork belly mix in the center of a dinner plate. If you’ve found a nice vegetable accompaniment, my personal favorite is Brussels Sprouts, place it alongside the rice. Rest the fillet of Drum on top. Drizzle the Brown Butter Sauce around and over the fillet. Top with a heaping spoonful of the Crab Relish. Voila!
Miles Prescott has worked with some of the country’s top chefs and gained attention for his efforts. Working with Chef Adolfo Garcia at RioMar, he continues to build upon his deep interest in Spanish influenced cuisine with local ingredients and flavorful results.
RioMar is the place for seafood from a different perspective. Chef Adolfo Garcia draws upon cooking experiences in Spain and his Latin American heritage to showcase the bounty of the Gulf, and a few points beyond…simply and traditionally at RioMar. The restaurant is open Mon-Fri for Tapas lunch, and Mon-Sat for Dinner.
