Recipe by Chef Bret Thompson of Pez Cantina and La Piñata
@lapinatapopup @pezcantina @pezpowder
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
4 ea 6oz Salmon portions, skin on and deboned
Crust
6 slices Bacon, diced and rendered crispy then strained
1 ea Garlic clove, chopped, added to bacon just before straining
1 tsp Pez Powder Black Chipotle and Lime Seasoning - Purchase inside our Markets or online HERE!
A drizzle Honey
Mix all ingredients together. Place the salmon in a greased baking dish, skin side down, place the crust on top of each piece of salmon, bake in pre-heated 400F oven for about 18 – 22 minutes, depending on the thickness. Stick the end of a knife into the salmon for a few seconds, then touch. If warm to hot, it’s done.
Mash
4 oz Salt Cod, soaked in cold water overnight, then rinsed again
1 pc Bay Leaf, dry or fresh
2 pc Garlic Cloves
1 cup Heavy Cream
6 pc Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled, cut into medium pieces
8 cups Water
Place Salt Cod, bay leaf, cream and garlic cloves in a small pot over a medium flame for 20 minutes. Add a touch of water if cream reduces too much.
While hot, carefully puree salt cod mix for 30 seconds in the food processor or whisk in the same pot. Set aside on low heat to keep warm.
Place potatoes in 8 cups cold water, along with the garlic cloves, bring to a boil, then down to a simmer until potatoes are just tender. Strain very well, then place back in same pot on stovetop.
Pea and Basil Sauce
2 cups Peas, raw
3 cups Water
1 tbsp Butter
1 tsp Lemon juice
6 large Basil leaves, chiffonade (cut in threads)
to taste Salt and pepper
Soft herbs like parsley, celery leaves, chive, scallions etc. to garnish
Bring the 3 cups of water to a boil in a small pot, add the peas and cook over high heat for about 4 minutes. Strain out MOST of the water, leaving about ½ cup of pea water in the pot. Add butter to the peas and stir until creamy then add the lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper.
Plating
Place a small bed of salt cod mash on the plate. Then top it with the Salmon followed by the peas sauce and lemon wedges dipped in Pez Powder Black Chipotle and Lime Seasoning. Garnish with some soft herbs around the Salmon.
About the Chef
Chef Bret Thompson
Chef Bret Thompson was inspired to create Pez Cantina, his seafood-focused restaurant in Downtown L.A., by his travels to Loreto on the Sea of Cortez and by his marriage into a Mexican family. At Pez he has a created a menu focused on sustainable, local ingredients that draws from the traditions of the distinct Coastal Mexican cuisines of Baja, Oaxaca, and the Yucatan Peninsula. Pez Cantina has quickly become a mainstay of Bunker Hill’s dining culture.
Bret’s earliest memories of the sea are from about the age of 7 when he would accompany his father and his uncles on overnight fishing trips out of San Pedro. His fishing skills at that young age were enough to draw the competitive spirit out of his adult relatives; it was on these trips that he first learned to love the sea.
Chef Thompson has been counting on Santa Monica Seafood for his fresh seafood since he was the opening chef for Catal at Downtown Disney in 2001. His advice to home cooks looking to make spectacular seafood at home is to focus on freshness first, heat second (“99.99999% of the time you cook seafood as hot as possible!”) and always be mindful of your spices. Don’t just salt once and be done with it – salt, taste, adjust and season again until you’ve got the flavor perfect.
Pez Cantina
401 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 258-2280
www.pezcantina.com
La Pinata
686 North Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 716-9400
www.pinata.la.com