Alaska Fishcake Benedict with Roe
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 8 fish cakes
Ingredients
- 2 fillets wild Alaska pollock, about 9 ounces
- 1 fillet wild Alaska king salmon, about 9 ounces, skinless
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
- 1 onion, peeled, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 ½ teaspoon Old Bay® Seasoning
- 4 sprigs Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup panko
- 1 tablespoon plus ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 ¼ sticks unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons Alaska salmon roe, plus more for garnish
- 2 bunches spinach leaves, about 10 ounces
- Pinch red chili flakes
- Several dill sprigs
Preparation
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Step 1 Read the chef's notes
“We are big fans of breakfast for dinner at our household. This dish is just perfect for a gray, rainy evening in Portland. The salmon and pollock together make a more complex fishcake both in flavor and texture. Alaska salmon roe adds decadence as well as briny touch to rich hollandaise. Why the spinach and dill? Why not? We could all use more green color in our lives.
Notes on recipe: If you forget to defrost the fish, steaming directly from frozen is possible; just adjust the cooking time slightly. I made the fishcakes gluten free as many of us, though not allergic, want to limit our gluten consumption. The fishcakes replaces the typical English muffins. I use a high-speed of a blender instead of a customary double boiler to make the hollandaise. It’s a trick I learned from Michael Campbell, a good friend, and a colleague. I also use a little mustard to ensure the emulsion is strong and flavor is on point.”
– Chef Vitaly Paley
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Step 2 Cook fish
Add pollock and salmon to steamer basket; place basket over pot with water. Cover, bring to boil over high heat then lower heat to simmer. Cook 10 minutes if cooking fresh fish, or 15 minutes or more if cooking frozen. Transfer fish to large bowl, season generously with salt and pepper. Cool; then flake into bite-size chunks.
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Step 3 Mix fishcake
Pour 2 Tbsp olive oil into 12-inch skillet. Add chopped onion, pepper, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until translucent and slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Turn heat off, stir in 2 tsp Old Bay then transfer into fish bowl. In a small bowl, whisk one egg. Add egg to fish bowl then add panko, parsley and oregano. Mix well; refrigerate to cool completely. (You can do this step several hours, or a day, in advance.)
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Step 4 Cook fishcakes
Preheat oven to 350F. Brush the bottom of a 10 X 12 inch ovenproof dish with butter. Form fishcake batter into 8 equal cakes. Place cakes into the dish, brush each cake carefully using one Tbsp of mustard. Bake cakes thoroughly and until slightly browned about 15 minutes.
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Step 5 Poach Eggs
Fill a 2 qt saucepan with about 1.5 qt of water; add 1 tsp each salt and vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to simmer. Using a long-handled spoon, stir water clockwise to create a vortex. Crack 1 egg into a small bowl then immediately pour the egg into the vortex center. Cook egg for 3 minutes, until opaque outside but runny inside. (Cook longer if you prefer egg more cooked.)Transfer egg using slotted spoon onto paper towel-lined plate. Repeat process with 7 more eggs.
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Step 6 Make Hollandaise
While eggs are cooking, melt all of the butter over very low heat; keep warm. Separate 3 remaining eggs; place yolks only into the bowl of a blender. (Discard egg whites or save for another use.) In the blender, add the juice of ½ lemon, remaining 1/2 tsp Old Bay, and 1/2 tsp mustard. Blend on high speed until eggs lighten in color and slightly increase in volume, about 2 minutes. Carefully, remove the small lid of the blender cover and, in a very slow and steady flow, pour in the hot butter. If after all the butter is incorporated, the hollandaise seems too thick to pour, add in a little warm water. Transfer sauce to a small bowl, mix in 4 Tbsp salmon roe; keep warm.
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Step 7 Cook Spinach
In a large pot, pour in the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves of sliced garlic, and pinch red chili flakes. Over medium heat, cook and stir until garlic is translucent, about 1 minute. Add spinach all at once, season generously with salt and pepper, cover; reduce heat to medium and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir, and cook 1 minute more, making sure all spinach is cooked uniformly. Turn off the heat, cover, and keep warm.
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Step 8 Assemble
When ready to serve, remove fishcakes from the oven. Plate two cakes per plate, or all onto a big platter. Top cakes with spinach then poached eggs. Pour a spoonful of hollandaise over egg, garnish with more salmon roe and several dill sprigs. Serve immediately.
