Ingredients
32 ounces pink snapper fillet, skin on
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and diced
¼ teaspoon red chili, diced
½ tablespoon garlic, minced
10 ounces onion, diced
4 ounces lemongrass, smashed (whole)
Zest from 2 lemons
2 sprints thyme, chopped
1 bay leaf
6 cups chicken stock
2 ounces heavy cream
8 ounces butter
½ cup lemon juice
8 ounces baby Swiss chard, trimmed
8 ounces Granny Smith apple, diced
Preserved Tomato
12 ounces red cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon sugar, granulated
¼ tablespoon salt, kosher
¼ tablespoon red chili flake
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 pinch fennel pollen
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 ¾ cups water
Butternut Squash Puree
2 ½ pounds butternut squash, peeled and seeded
¼ cup olive oil
¼ tablespoon salt, kosher
¼ teaspoon pepper, black (ground)
Directions
Butternut Squash Puree
Toss the squash, salt, pepper and first set of olive oil and roast at 350 degrees for 20 minutes on high fan. While the squash is roasting, warm the second set of olive oil and saute the ginger, red chili, garlic and onion. Add the lemongrass, lemon zest, thyme and bay. Continue to saute for an additional 3-4 minutes.
Add the roasted squash and cover with the stock and cream. Simmer over low heat for an additional 20 minutes. Remove the lemongrass stalks.
Puree the soup with the butter until completely smooth. Do not strain. After pureed, add the lemon juice and cool. Reserve for plating.
Preserved Tomato
Blister the tomatoes with a torch. In a separate pan, warm all remaining ingredients until liquid is clear. Cool slightly.
Add blistered tomatoes to the warm pickling liquid. Reserve, and leave in the liquid for a minimum of 8 hours.
Snapper and Garnish
Trim and season the snapper fillets with salt and pepper. Sear in a pan (skin side down) over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a non-stick pan. Do not flip. Allow the fish to caramelize and become golden on the skin side (5-7 minutes).
Place the entire pan in a 350 degree oven (without flipping) for an additional 5 minutes to cook through.
While the fish is roasting, gently saute the garnish. Place 1 tablespoon of whole butter in a separate non-stick sauce pan. Over high heat, quickly saute the apple, chard, tomato and jalepeno for one minute to warm through.
Plating
Fill the bottom of a plate or bowl with the butternut squash puree. Top the puree with the warmed chard and apple. Top that with the roasted pink snapper (skin side up). Garnish with the preserved tomato, jalapeno and cilantro leaves if desired.