Fresh Hamachi and the Wonders of Foam

[ironchef]

I guess I'm somewhat of a mad scientist when it comes to food sometimes. We get in this beautiful, fresh, whole hamachi. We clean it, fillet it, and we have this beautiful, beautiful fish. Great color, texture, and fat content. The kind of quality you'd find at a really good sushi restaurant. Now hamachi is great just with soy sauce and wasabi. It's traditional, and it just works. But, it's just too simple. And there is a time and place for simple. Some foods can get lost in complexity. You taste it, it has a lot of flavors going on, and it just doesn't work. Like a good steak. You do too much to a really good steak and it's ruined. The challenge is knowing which foods you can and should showcase simplicity, and knowing which foods you can push the envelope with.

Everyone who knows me knows that I love working with seafood. Seafood is the most versatile protein on the planet. You can do more flavor-wise to seafood than anything else which is part of the reason why I love to work with it. So this idea of flavors just came to me out of the blue as I was watching one of the other guys clean the fish. It started off with something citrus-y like yuzu, and the other flavors just started to fall into place as I was thinking about it. The coolness of the cucumber foam really brought all the flavors together.

Fresh Hamachi Crudo
Yuzu Aioli, Truffle Essence, Hawaiian Red Alae Salt, Shaved Icicle Radish, Bird's Eye Chili Dust, Micro Opal Basil, Cucumber Foam

 

[BBQ Mikey]

I don't know much about foams, but I do know that I would absolutely love to try that. Citrus and Seafood is always "in", nice work!

 

[ironchef]

Foams are great to work with. There are two main kinds: foam that is made with gelatin and shot out of a whipped cream canister and foams that are made by incorporating air into a liquid using an immersion blender. The foam on this dish is the later.

The cool thing about foams is that if done correctly, it can incorporate a flavor into a dish (in this case, cucumber) while lending an "airy" and light quality and texture. I've tasted dishes where the foam just lent a visual appeal but because it was not flavored correctly, it didn't do much in the way of taste. So while foams can look cool and are cutting edge, I think it's pointless to do unless it adds to the flavor to a dish, and not just the presentation. When we tried this dish before dinner service, everyone tried a piece with and without the foam and you could taste the difference. The foam brought the entire dish together.

 

[mudbug]

way to go again, IC! Promise you won't start doing your hair like Marcel.

 

[ironchef]

way to go again, IC! Promise you won't start doing your hair like Marcel.

Oh don't worry, you can be sure my hair won't ever look like that.

Also, I promise I won't start rapping either...

 

[mudbug]

attaboy .

 

[kitchenelf]

Anybody know where we can get cheap tickets to Hawaii?????????? Wouldn't you just love a table of DC'ers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ironchef]

Anybody know where we can get cheap tickets to Hawaii?????????? Wouldn't you just love a table of DC'ers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think only a small percentage of those on here would be adventurous enough or would appreciate the type of food that I put out. I'll be the first to admit, it's not for everyone.

Mudbug's post got me thinking, and look what I found. One of my most favorite moments of Top Chef season 2, simply for how hilarious it was:

Poptarticus: Marcel's Rap

 

[GB]

I think only a small percentage of those on here would be adventurous enough or would appreciate the type of food that I put out.

Save me a seat at that table please!!!

 

[kitchenelf]

I think you might be surprised how many people would appreciate AND eat the type of food you put out, IC.

GB - you don't mind if I go ahead and order a round of some sort of luscious cocktail, do you?

 

[GB]

GB - you don't mind if I go ahead and order a round of some sort of luscious cocktail, do you?

Mind??? I would expect nothing less!

 

[ironchef]

I love my new avatar. It's so ****ing soigne.

 

[ironchef]

I think you might be surprised how many people would appreciate AND eat the type of food you put out, IC.

GB - you don't mind if I go ahead and order a round of some sort of luscious cocktail, do you?

No, no, no! No cocktails. If you're sitting at the chef's table then the first drink is always champagne with the amuse bouche. We'll be pouring the Krug Grand Cuvee this evening.