RECIPE: Butter Poached Alaska Herring from Luc

Butter Poached Alaskan Herring, Black Garbanzos, Charred Romanesco, Castelvetrano Olive Relish from Luc for Alaska Herring Week 2017!

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:

Butter Poached Alaskan Herring
Black Garbanzos, Charred Romanesco, Castelvetrano Olive Relish

By Chef Andrew Yanak, Luc

Ingredients:

• Herring – 2 filets
• Black Garbanzo – ½ cup (can substitute regular garbanzos)
• Romanesco – 4 florets
• Castelvetrano Olives – ¼ cup, sliced thin
• Garlic – 2 T Minced
• Shallot – 2 T Brunoise
• Parsley – 2 T Fresh, chopped
• Thyme – 2 T Fresh, chopped
• Olive Oil – 2 T
• Grenache Vinegar – 1 1/2 T
• S+P – to taste
• Butter – 4 oz
• White wine – 4 oz

Procedure:

1. Let herring soak in an acid bath (4 parts vinegar, 2 parts water, 1 part lemon juice) for 4 hours. This softens the pinbone but does not eliminate them. Then soak in cold water for two rotations of 30 minutes each to wash away some of the acid.
2. If starting from dry beans, pre soak in water for at least 8 hours. (Start here for canned beans) Then transfer to pot and bring to simmer. Cook beans until just soft. Test by eating, if it still has a bite to it it’s not ready. Strain when cooked and reserve for later.
3. Thinly slice the olives and put into mixing bowl with ½ T each of garlic, shallot, parsey, and thyme. Add olive oil enough to coat all ingredients. Add 1 T of the Grenache vinegar and mix. Set aside for plating.
4. In a large sauté pan melt 3 oz of butter with 3 oz of white wine. Once it is melted and slightly simmering add 1 T each of garlic, shallot, thyme, and parsley and cook for 1 minute. Gently place herring filets in the butter/wine mixture and cook approximately 4 to 5 minutes being careful not to break up the filets. Once cooked set aside for plating.
5. Bring a separate sauté pan up to medium-high heat. Coat the pan with oil and place romanesco florets. Avoid disturbing the florets to produce the charred coloring that is desired. Once romanesco is almost cooked, (think cauliflower), add the garbanzos and cook until just warm. Add the remainder of herbs, garlic and shallot, butter and vinegar and turn off heat. These ingredients should form a sauce to coat the veggies. Set aside for plating.
6. Plate your ingredients in whatever whimsical fashion you desire but we suggest stacking from bottom to top the veg, fish, and then relish.