Sexy on the Plate
Make your dish a little Naughty with MV Sea Salt’s charcoal blend.
Some might consider salt to be an afterthought. It can take the form of a thoughtless pinch dropped onto the plate at the last minute. It can even be an insult if used by anyone other than the person who prepared the food for the evening. But, if there’s anything I’ve learned from binging Top Chef with Tee, it’s that seasoning is key.
The Gospel According to Padma Lakshmi was further reinforced for me when I shadowed Heidi at the MV Sea Salt booth. Salt can be a centerpiece in its own right. It can serve as a catalyst for new culinary adventures. Heidi said it best:
“New potatoes, corn on the cob...if you haven’t had new potatoes, go find them at your market! ‘Fish, what? Salt on fish? I’ve never thought about that, that comes from the ocean, why would I put salt on it?’ So we try to inspire ideas for things they haven’t eaten before.”
So when it came to selecting a dish for this week’s feature, Tee and I were a little nervous. Yes, salt is one of the most versatile ingredients. We considered baking it into a sourdough (that one may still happen), using it to dress up a steak (carnivores, your recipe is coming), and maybe even garnishing a drink (which you can still do, as Heidi sells cocktail-trimmer sets). But we wanted something where the salt, specifically the Naughty charcoal-activated variety, could showcase its depth of smokiness. We had to get it right, because Martha doesn’t want to be off the Vineyard anytime soon.
A trip to The Fish House by the airport was the inspiration we needed. Some hearty striped sea bass called to us from behind the display, then we picked up some locally-grown produce, and soon Tee was chopping away in the kitchen while I bombarded her with cameras. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we did!
Broiled Striped Sea Bass with Naughty-Spiced Tomato Salad
Ingredients
Sea Bass
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp soy sauce
Martha’s Vineyard Sea Salt: Naughty
Two 5-ounce skinless striped bass fillets
Directions
Combine scallions, ginger, garlic, and red pepper. In a cast-iron pan, head the oil until shimmering. Pour the hot oil over the scallion mixture and stir in the lemon juice, soy sauce, and salt.
Preheat the broiler; brush the fillets on both sides with the scallion oil. Arrange on a broiler pan skinned side-down; broil until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the fillets to plates; spoon some scallion oil and season with MV Sea Salt.
Tomatoes
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
1 tbsp coriander seed powder
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped basil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp sugar
2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, diced
Martha’s Vineyard Sea Salt: Naughty
Directions
In a small skillet, toast the peppercorns and coriander powder over medium-high heat until fragrant, 30 seconds. Transfer to a spice grinder and let cool. Grind the peppercorns with coriander to form a powder.
In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup of oil with ground spices, basil, vinegar, shallot, ginger, and sugar. Add the tomatoes and toss to coat with dressing. Season the tomatoes with MV Sea Salt.
