Yay! It’s a big day today! It’s the reveal of the July 2009 Daring Cooks Challenge! So exciting!

… Okay maybe I’m the only one who’s that excited, but I am. For those who don’t know, the Daring Cooks is an online group that food bloggers can join. Each month, there is a “challenge” to cook something you’re unfamiliar with. This month’s challenge, from Sketchy over at Sketchy’s Kitchen, was Skate with Powdered Traditional Flavors.

Powdered Flavors, you say? Yes, this dish is big on molecular gastronomy. MG often uses (food-safe) chemicals to manipulate the properties of common food ingredients, and it can result in some pretty cool dishes. (Mine is not one of them.)

According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, skate are severely overfished and their population is on the decline since the fish grow slowly and have long lives. Because skate is listed as avoid, I chose to use Pacific cod instead. I also halved the recipe, making about 1 pound of fish instead of two, and halved the butter for the recipe as well.

  

   

Read the recipe and see more pictures after the jump!

Cod with Powdered Traditional Flavors

Adapted from the Alinea Cookbook

 

• 1 pound cod
• * Beurre monte
• 1 cup fresh green beans, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• sea salt/kosher salt
• 1 banana, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound butter (2 sticks)
• 3 lemons
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 cup dried banana chips
• 1/4 cup powdered milk
• 1 cup minced red onion
• 1/2 cup capers (brined, not oil)

To make Beurre Monte:

Cube and chill 1/4 pound of butter. In a small saucepan, bring 5 tablespoons of water to a boil, remove from heat and whisk in the butter 1 cube at a time. This should from an emulsion. Keep this heated, but under 195 degrees. The emulsion will not break – this is your poaching liquid.

  

  

To make citrus powder:

Zest all 3 lemons. Place zest on a paper towel and microwave 8 to 10 minutes until dry. Put in spice grinder, and grind until a fine powder. Set aside.

  

  

To make cilantro-parsley powder:

Blanch the parsley and cilantro in boiling saltwater for 1 second, then submerge the leaves in ice water for 3 minutes. Dry on paper towels and place on paper towel; microwave for 30 seconds, turn over leaves, and microwave for another 30 seconds. Continue in 30-second intervals until dry. Put through spice grinder until a fine powder; reserve.

  

  

To make onion powder:

Put diced red onion on a paper towel, and microwave for 20 minutes or until dry. Grind in spice grinder until a fine powder, and set aside.

This was where I failed, BIG TIME. I thought the onions were dry coming out of the microwave, but they weren’t fully dry, so I got a big lump of semi-burned onion goo.

I mean, I didn’t want to eat this:

  

  

To make caper powder:

Run the capers under cold water for two minutes to remove some of the brine. Dry the capers on paper towels and microwave for 1 minute. Repeat for 30 second intervals until they are dry. Once dry, grind until a fine powder. Mix with the onion powder. Reserve.

To make brown butter powder:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, sift the powdered milk into a fine layer on a silpat or on parchment. Bake for 4 minutes, then remove from heat. If it bakes for too long, it will burn. They all go from browned to burnt in a few seconds.

Grind the banana chips in a coffee grinder and mix with the toasted milk powder. Reserve.

To prepare green beans:

Bring 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup buerre monte to a boil over high heat. Cook until the water has evaporated, remove the green beans, and season with a sprinkling of salt.

  

  

To prepare cod:

Bring 1 cup water and 1/2 cup beurre monte to a simmer over medium heat. Add cod and simmer for 5 minutes, or until cooked through.

  

  

Plating:

Spread the onion-caper, parsley-cilantro, and lemon powders on the plate in a design of your choosing. (I went for straight lines to make it easier.) Place a few banana slices under where you’ll set the cod; place green beans on top of banana; place cod on top of green beans. Dust cod with brown butter powder. Serve immediately.

  

  

Playing in the Kitchenette: Kings of Leon / Fans – Because I’m their biggest fan and they’re coming to Denver August 9th! *fangirl squee*