RECIPE: Purple Café & Wine Bar in Woodinville

We welcome Purple Café & Wine Bar in Woodinville as our 53rd confirmed participant in Alaska Herring Week 2017! And Chef Andy is also the first to get us a dish photo and a dish description: Grilled herring, smoked shiitake, asparagus, lobster consommé, and scallions.

Wanna make this at home? You can purchase the same Alaska Herring fillets being used by Seattle’s top chefs for Alaska Herring Week from Central Coop on Capitol Hill, Freshy’s Seafood Market on Mercer Island, Old Ballard Liquor Co. in Ballard, and Wild Salmon Seafood Market at Fisherman’s Terminal! Once you’ve done that, here’s the recipe:

Grilled herring, smoked shiitake, asparagus, lobster consommé, and scallions

Basic Bone Softening Brine:

• 1 c distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 c water
• 1/4 c lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and brine herring for three hours. Remove herring from brine and rinse in cold water. Pat dry and move to sweet soy marinade.

Sweet Soy Marinade:

• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 1/4 c dry white wine
• 1/4 c mirin
• 2 T sugar
• 2 T freshly grated ginger

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and whisk to dissolve sugar. Heat to barely a simmer, immediately remove from heat and cool.

Thread herring onto bamboo skewers and marinate for 4 hours reserving a little to brush on the fish while grilling.

Lobster “Consommé”:

• 1 gal water
• 1 lb lobster shells
• 2 onions, large dice
• 2” fresh ginger, sliced
• 1 ea roma tomato, sliced
• 6 ea garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 ea lime, sliced
• 2 ea bay leaf
• 1 T black peppercorns

Rinse lobster bodies under cold water and remove any of entrails that may still be attached as they will cause the stock to be bitter.

Combine all ingredients in a stock pot and heat to the bearest of a simmer for 1 hour. Do not boil!!

Strain through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth. Season to taste with soy sauce and more lime juice if needed. Cool.

Smoked Shiitake:

1. De-stem skiitake.
2. Smoke at 225 for 45 minutes with alderwood
3. Cool and slice.

For the Dish:

1. Pat marinade off herring and brush with canola oil and place on a well-oiled and hot grill. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side. Use a fish spatula if fish is sticking slightly.
2. Grill asparagus spears that have been dressed with canola oil, rice wine vinegar, salt, and pepper.
3. In a small sauce pan heat lobster consommé and smoked shiitake together.
4. To plate: Criss cross asparagus spears, arrange shiitake around asparagus, pour in consommé, and place grilled fish on top. Garnish with scallions.