I made the salmon mi-cuit with horseradish cream (didn't do the puree), and when my wife and I had a taste for thai it inspired the following. I should note, I'm a newbie to modernist cooking (and cooking in general), so be kind...
Red curry reduction: I started with a red curry paste that consisted of cilantro stems, re-hydrated ancho chilies, 2 thai bird chilies, curry power, turmeric, garlic, and ginger root. I pureed in a food processor, and then sautéed the paste until it reached a dark red color. I deglazed with a can of coconut milk, and a cup of chicken stock. I then added fish sauce, and a touch of brown sugar. Based on the beef demi-glace recipe, I also added a touch of glucose. I cooked down, strained, and then continued to reduce. It took on almost a mole like depth of flavor. When it had the flavor and consistency I was looking for, I transferred it to a ziplock, and put in the water bath that was awaiting the sea bass.
I really like the horseradish cream recipe, so I decided to follow the same recipe except substituting the horseradish for ginger and galangal. I also substituted cream for coconut milk. I used 1 whole can, and then just the cream from a second (chilled the can which separated cream from water). This came out super yummy, and was a great compliment to the curry reduction.
The sea bass I brined for 1 hour (brine from the mi-cuit recipe), and then cooked SV @ 122. This is the second time I've cooked sea bass SV, and I've been blown away at the results each time. Unbelievably good. Quick sear on the presentation side, sprinkle of good salt, and it was good to go.
Overall, it tasted amazing. The plating though, ugh, not the prettiest. I tried a few times (I think my wife was questioning my sanity). The curry smear looked ok, but I couldn't figure out what to do with the white cream. The crushed peanuts gave a nice texture, and the touch of cilantro was good too (I would've loved cilantro micros, but couldn't find them). Next time I think a papaya salad on the side would be a nice complement, and keep with the thai theme.
Anyway, I wanted to be sure I posted this, as it felt like the culmination of a lot of stuff I've learned from this amazing site. CS crew, keep up the good work, and thanks for providing such a great resource. My wife thanks you too.
Chuck
