Chilean sea bass with cucumber noodles and horseradish sauce

"My idea of good company, Mr. Elliot, is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversations; that is what I call good company." - Jane Austen, Persuasion

Good company inspires, uplifts, encourages and challenges us to make improvements in our lives.  After a meaningful conversation, one will often walk away with a renewed mind and more confident demeanor.  Point being, in any type of healthy relationship (romantic or friendship), the pairing of the two souls inspire one another to become even better than their current situations.

And this has to do with cooking... how?

Use ingredients and produce to compliment and enhance each other.  For example: seafood.  All too often, a seared fillet of fish will often find itself sitting atop a large portion of pasta/beside a heaping side of mashed potatoes.  Nothing is wrong with this combination.  And in some situations, it can be an enjoyable dish.  However... sometimes it seems like the chef just "gave up" in the last quarter of the game.  The hard work of tender, love and care in searing/basting the fish was already accomplished... why not take equal care when preparing a side to actually showcase the fish?

The only 'problem' with pasta and potatoes when consuming  a fillet of fish?  Everything is the same texture.  It is difficult to differentiate between the fish and pasta/potato.  Again, nothing is wrong with this pairing... but I prefer more variation.

Enter in, vegetables.  Not only more healthy in terms of nutrition, but vegetables cane also be transformed into 'noodles.'  Let's take a cucumber, shall we? (may also use shaved root vegetables - rutabaga, turnip, radish, squash, spaghetti squash, zucchini, etc.)  

Cucumber noodles

1 large English cucumber

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 Tbsp minced rosemary (fresh) - could also to cilantro

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Pinch of cayenne pepper, salt (to taste)

1/4 cup of Extra-virgin olive oil

First peel the cucumber and discard the green outer layer.  Using a "Y" peeler, carefully shave long, slim noodles.  Because the "noodles" are thin enough, they provide a subtle crunch... pleasing to the palate.  In a medium bowl, marinate the shaved cucumber with a few splashes of lemon juice, pinch of cayenne pepper, salt, freshly chopped rosemary, Dijon mustard and extra-virgin olive oil.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes, then pair with a seared filler of fish... think sea bass, salmon, haddock, tilapia, etc.

Rather than serving with a cream sauce (high in calories and fat), use 0% Greek yogurt as a base for a light sauce.  For example:

1 cup 0% Greek yogurt

1 Tbsp white wine

2 tsp horseradish

Pinch cayenne pepper

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt - to taste

Simply combine all ingredients and warm on the stove top.  If you prefer a more viscus consistency, add chicken or vegetable stock to "thin."

Granted, yes - a cream sauce would compliment the dish exponentially more.  However, when considering your daily diet and health, opt for the Greek yogurt.  Point being, both enhance the fish.

When plating, ladle the sauce on the bottom of the plate, then add the marinated cucumber noodles to the center of the bulls-eye.  Carefully placed the sauteed fish atop the noddles  .If you kept the skin-on while cooking, be sure that the crispy skin is facing up to 'show off' the golden crust (yes, this is your way of bragging in a silent manner... a perfectly-crisp skin is impressive when cooked correctly).  Top with a few fresh herbs, salmon roe/caviar and edible flowers.  Why not?

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams

J'adore.

sb