Sable With Beef Marrow-Porcini Mushroom Crust And Burnt Butter Soy Glaze

by Chef Susur Lee

Introduction by James Chatto:
“It is nice to have wild mushrooms – earthy, light and decadent for the winter,” says Susur Lee. Nobody cooks like Susur. A master of Asian and Western cuisines, he uses techniques and ingredients from both on his tasting menus at Susur, blending them seamlessly with instinctive imagination. Next door at his other restaurant, Lee, the evening is more casual, the menu full of small, fascinating dishes. For all his acclaim, Susur is still an eager student of gastronomy, travelling the world with an open mind, adding more and more to his repertoire.

You can buy marrow bones at the butcher – ask him to remove the marrow for you. If you use dried porcini mushrooms, soak for 20 minutes in hot water. Demi glace is available at good butchers or gourmet shops.

Four 4-oz (125 g) pieces Alaskan Black Cod (sablefish)
1/4 cup light soya sauce
2 tbsp dark soya sauce
2 tbsp Chinese wine or sherry
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup diced bone marrow
1/4 cup diced porcini mushroom
1 cup brioche crumbs, toasted
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place fish in a bowl.

Combine soya sauce, dark soya sauce, Chinese wine, sugar and water until completely melted together.

Pour soy mixture over fish and marinate for 1/2 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Combine diced marrow, porcini and brioche crumbs in a bowl to make porcini-marrow crust.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place porcini-marrow crust on top of fish and bake for 20 minutes or until crust is brown.

Serve with sauce.

Burnt Butter Soy Sauce

1/2 cup plus 2 tsp unsalted butter
1 cup plus 1 tsp whipping cream
1/2 cup Demi glace
1/4 cup Soy glaze
1 tbsp white wine

Add 1/2 cup of butter to sauce pan and brown for about 5 minutes on high or until butter begins to smoke.

Stir continuously.

Turn off heat and deglaze with 1 tsp of cream, scraping up blackened bits from bottom of pan.

Remove from heat and cool before refrigerating.

Bring remaining 1 cup of cream to gentle boil on medium high heat.

Decrease heat and simmer for 20 minutes until cream is reduced by half.

Set aside.

Once burnt butter has chilled, return to heat and add Demi glace, Soy glaze, reduced cream and wine.

Bring to boil, whisking constantly.

Remove from heat and allow to cool in pan. Just before serving, add remaining 2 tsp of butter and return to a boil.

Spoon around fish.

Soy Glaze, Makes approx. 2 cups

4 cups chicken stock, home made or store bought (low salt)
1/2 cup sliced unpeeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup sugar

Combine chicken stock, ginger, soy sauce and sugar in a pot.

Bring to boil and boil for about 20 minutes or until glaze coats the back of a spoon and is syrupy.

Strain glaze.

Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 6 months.

Chef Susur Lee

Susur Restaurant

601 King Street W.
Toronto, Ontario
Phone: 416.603.2205
www.susur.com

Lee Restaurant

603 King Street W.
Toronto, Ontario
Phone: 416.504.7867