how2heroes » White Miso-Cured Wild Alaskan Black Cod

Appetizers » White Miso-Cured Wild Alaskan Black Cod

Peter Ungár, chef/owner of The Dining Alternative assembles one of the most beautiful, aromatic and delicious seafood appetizers you'll ever see, taste or want to make. No stone goes unturned as he explains the curing process and its amazing result. View Peter's Crab Meat Salad, Avocado Mousseline and Pickled Red Radish, to bring it all together.

Print Recipe

Makes 20 Servings

Ingredients

1½ lbs wild Alaskan black cod
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup fresh herbs, packed (parsley, basil, cilantro)
½ cup yuzu juice
½ cup orange juice
1 orange, zest
1 tbsp szechuan peppercorns, toasted/cracked
1 tbsp fennel seed, toasted/cracked
1 tbsp white miso paste

Crab Meat Salad

8 oz fresh crab meat, picked through

* Use the following measurements or add them to taste:

1 tsp preserved Meyer lemon*, brunoise (small dice), or lemon zest
1 tsp roasted shallots, diced
2 tbsp crème fraîche
salt & fresh cracked white pepper

How-to

Assemble the Crab Meat Salad

Gently pick through crab for shells or cartilage, careful not to break up crab lumps
Add roasted shallots, lemon peel*, crème fraîche, salt and pepper
Gently fold ingredients

*Preserved Meyer Lemon -You can buy preserved Meyer lemon, but it's easy to prepare your own:

Make two cuts in each lemon you want to prepare
Place kosher salt into the crevices
Wedge salted lemons tightly into a glass jar
Store the jar in the refrigerator
As long as the brine covers the lemons, lemons will keep about a year refrigerated

Roast Shallots - View the Crab Meat Salad Video which demonstrates roasting 3 shallots but prepare as many as you like - this recipe only requires about 1 tsp of roasted shallots.

Preheat oven to 300º
Place unpeeled shallots in an air-tight foil wrap and roast for 50-60 minutes, or until soft
Trim root end, squeeze out roasted shallot, and dice

Prepare the Cod

Wash/rinse/spin/dry herbs
Blend all ingredients in food processor until combined
Pat down fish to ensure dryness
Place fish skin-side down on plastic wrap
Evenly spread miso onto flesh-side
Lather mix thoroughly on top of miso
Wrap tightly / Place in fridge weighted
Let sit for 24-36 hours / Flip halfway
Rinse completely with very cold water / Pat until completely dry
Cut thin, even slices on the bias
Lay overlapping on top of plastic wrap
Cover with plastic wrap
Use rolling pin to gently even out & meld slices
Remove top layer of plastic wrap
Lay straight line of crab meat along edge of fish
Use bottom plastic wrap to wrap fish around crab meat
Slice fish allowing enough space for fish to overlap
Rest in fridge for 1 hour before slicing & serving

Garnishes - View Peter Ungár's videos for suggested garnishes:

Avocado Mousseline
Pickled Red Radish

Watch this Hero's Profile Video

Peter Ungar

Peter Ungár, began cooking at the age of 17 as an apprentice in one of the two French restaurants in Fort Worth. Chef Phillipe Lecoq of Le Chardonnay Restaurant oversaw his apprenticeship, which was followed by a position as garde manger at Fort Worth's other French restaurant, Saint-Emilion. Peter then attended Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration. He was the Teacher’s Assistant for Master Chef Noel Cullen, professor of "Fundamentals in Foodservice Operations" and "Food & Beverage Management." Peter worked with Chef Cullen for four years, who was a Certified Master Chef in both the United States and Europe, as well as President of the American Culinary Federation (1997-2001). Peter moved to France and traveled extensively throughout the wine provinces of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Cognac, and Champagne, all of which gave him an intimate sense of how earth and climate affect the character of wine. Peter secured a job at the Relais & Châteaux, Le Chalet du Mont d’Arbois, in Megève, France, where he worked extensively in the kitchen, learning much about French cuisine. Upon returning to the US, Peter immediately took an internship in the kitchens of the Four Seasons Hotel Boston where he worked in every facet of the Four Seasons’ kitchens, which included fine dining (Aujourd’hui), casual dining (Bristol Lounge), and banquet functions. After graduating with a degree in Hospitality Administration, Peter worked for six years in Aujourd’hui, making his way through every station of that kitchen. During his final year at Aujourd’hui, Peter began to cook private dinners. This evolved into The Dining Alternative, which has been successfully operating since 2003 due to its truly unique "fine dining at home" concept. During this time, Peter has also worked in other establishments in order to maintain and enhance his culinary expertise, such as Truly Jörg’s Pâtisserie in Boston, John Dewar’s Butcher Shop in Newton, and Craigie Street Bistrot in Cambridge. In April 2007, Peter assisted Chef Pâtissier Jörg Amsler in the Food Network Challenge Extreme Cake Competition, taking home the Silver Medal. Currently, in addition to directing the services of The Dining Alternative, Peter is a Chef/Instructor at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, teaching a variety of classes.