Pumpkin Seed Crusted Snapper with Curry Pumpkin Puree and Hibiscus Fluid Gel

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Hibiscus Fluid Gel:

• ½ ounce (14 g) hibiscus flowers
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 2/3 ounces (47 g) sugar
• 2 cups (470 ml) boiling water
• 1% agar agar by weight

Pumpkin Seed Crust:

• ½ cup (120 ml) panko breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup (60 ml) pumpkin seeds, toasted and ground
• ½ scotch bonnet chili, deseeded and finely chopped
• 3 sprigs thyme, leaves only
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped (rasp)
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground allspice
• 6 tablespoons (90 ml) butter, soft

Curry Pumpkin Puree:

• 1 buttercup pumpkin, peeled and cubed
• 1 ½ quarts (1.5 L) chicken stock
• ½ scotch bonnet
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) cold butter
• ½ tablespoon (7.5 ml) Caribbean curry powder
• Salt

 For the Snapper:

• 4 snapper fillets, skin on and pin bones removed
• Salt and pepper
• Pumpkin Seed Crust

Edible flowers, to garnish

Method:

For the Hibiscus Fluid Gel:

Make a tea by combining hibiscus flowers, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves to a heatproof dish or saucepan. Add boiling water and allow to steep for 45 minutes.

Strain, reserving the tea and discarding the solids.

Weigh strained tea on a digital scale to calculate and weigh out the amount of agar agar needed – for the easiest math, use metric units and weigh out 1 gram of agar powder for every 100 grams of tea.

Add strained tea to a saucepan and bring to a boil. When boiling, add agar agar powder. Whisk well and continue to boil for 1 minute, until clear.

Pour the tea-agar agar mixture into a wide dish and chill for at least 4 hours, until set and firm.

Add the set jelly into a blender and blend on low. Slowly increase the speed to high and continue blending until a shiny, smooth fluid gel forms.

Transfer the fluid gel to a squeeze bottle and reserve for plating. Refrigerate if not using right away.

For the Pumpkin Seed Crust:

In a bowl, mix panko, pumpkin seeds, scotch bonnet, thyme, allspice, garlic, and butter, combining by hand to form a dough.

Between two sheets of parchment paper, roll the dough out very thin (1/4-inch/6 mm), then chill completely, about 2 hours.

Before plating, cut the dough into the shapes of the fillets.

Pumpkin Puree:

In a medium pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil.

Add the cubes of pumpkin and return to a boil, then add the scotch bonnet pepper and thyme and boil for 12 minutes.

Remove the scotch bonnet and discard, and continue cooking for 20-25 minutes, until the pumpkin is very soft.

Remove and discard the thyme.

Strain, reserving the pumpkin. If desired, reserve the cooking liquid for another use, such as a soup.

Transfer the cooked pumpkin to the blender, add the curry powder and blend on high until smooth.

Add in the butter and continue blending until a uniform, glossy puree has formed.

Season with salt. Reserve and keep warm for plating.

For the Snapper:

Preheat an oven to 425 F (220 C).

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Carefully top the skin side of the fillets with the reserved, prepared, Pumpkin Seed Crusts.

Transfer fillets to a pan and bake for 7-8 minutes, until cooked through and crusty.

To Serve:

Dress the left side of a plate with a series of artfully arranged dots of the hibiscus fluid gel.

Add a spoonful of the warm pumpkin puree to the right side of the plate. Lay crusted fillet on left. Garnish with edible flowers.