Name: Pickerel (Walleye) Sous Vide with Carrot Orzo and Asparagus
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: ¼ cup (60 mL) black sesame seeds; ½ oz (15 g) dried morel mushrooms; 1 cup (250 mL) panko; 2 Tbsp (30 mL) sesame oil; 1 clove garlic, minced; 2 Tbsp (30 mL) honey; 2 tsp (10 mL) fish sauce; ½ tsp (2 mL) salt; 4 (6-oz/170 g) Ocean Wise pickerel fillets; 1 egg, beaten; 1 Tbsp (15 mL) butter; ¼ cup (60 mL) white wine; 1 cup (250 mL) pure carrot juice; 1 tsp (5 mL) cornstarch; 1 cup (250 mL) fish stock; ½ cup (125 mL) orzo, cooked; ¼ cup (60 mL) peas, cooked; ¼ cup (60 mL) dried morel mushrooms, rehydrated; 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh chopped mint; 2 Tbsp (30 mL) butter; 1 dash lemon juice; 1 pinch salt; 8 spears white asparagus, blanched and cooled; 8 spears green asparagus, blanched and cooled; 2 mini cucumbers, sliced; 12 pea shoots; 8 stalks rhubarb, poached, cooled and chopped

Pickerel (Walleye) Sous Vide with Carrot Orzo and Asparagus

Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

30 min

Yields

4 servings

Sous vide is a great alternative way to prepare pickerel, my favourite lake fish. “Sous vide-ing” bumps it up a notchbut this Ocean Wise™ recipe will also work if you instead steam the fish. Pickerel is best from May to July and September to November.

Substitutions: Any medium-firm flesh white fish, such as Pacific cod.

Pairing Suggestion: Pinot Gris, Sandhill Winery, 2012 Vintage, BC Okanagan Valley, King Family Vineyard.

ingredients

Crust

cup (60 mL) black sesame seeds

oz (15 g) dried morel mushrooms

cup (250 mL) panko

Pickerel

Tbsp (30 mL) sesame oil

clove garlic, minced

Tbsp (30 mL) honey

tsp (10 mL) fish sauce

tsp (2 mL) salt

(6-oz/170 g) Ocean Wise pickerel fillets

egg, beaten

Tbsp (15 mL) butter

cup (60 mL) white wine

Carrot Orzo

cup (250 mL) pure carrot juice

tsp (5 mL) cornstarch

cup (250 mL) fish stock

cup (125 mL) orzo, cooked

cup (60 mL) peas, cooked

cup (60 mL) dried morel mushrooms, rehydrated

Tbsp (15 mL) fresh chopped mint

Tbsp (30 mL) butter

dash lemon juice

pinch salt

To serve

spears white asparagus, blanched and cooled

spears green asparagus, blanched and cooled

mini cucumbers, sliced

pea shoots

stalks rhubarb, poached, cooled and chopped

Ingredient Substitution Guide

directions

Step 1

Grind crust ingredients in a spice grinder until fine and then sift. Set aside.

Step 2

Mix oil, garlic, honey, fish sauce and salt together to make a marinade. Toss fish in marinade. Follow the steps below to either steam or sous vide the fish. You should prepare the carrot orzo in the 30 minutes it will take the fish to cook.

Step 3

If you have a vacuum sealer and sous-vide machine: Place in vacuum pack bags and seal at medium pressure. Sous vide in enough water to submerge the bags at 55°F (15°C) for 30 minutes. Move bags into an ice bath, and remove fish from bag when cooled.

Step 4

Alternatively, marinate fish for 30 minutes, place fish in steamer (or a steaming rack over a pot or wok), and steam for 15 minutes.

Step 5

Place egg in a bowl to use as an egg wash. Dip top of the fish in egg wash then dip in crust. Sear in a medium hot pan crust-side first until the crust is golden brown. Turn over and add the butter and wine and put in a 300°F(150°C) oven until hot throughout, about 4 minutes. Set aside.

Step 6

Mix carrot juice with cornstarch (so carrot juice won’t split when boiled). Mix carrot mixture with fish stock and bring to boil. Add remainder of ingredients for the orzo. Bring to a boil and whisk in butter. Do not reboil.

Step 7

Arrange all cold ingredients around the plate. Spoon orzo mixture in centre and top with the pickerel.

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Pickerel (Walleye) Sous Vide with Carrot Orzo and Asparagus