I love finding unique ingredients to use in recipes, which is how I came across vincotto, a subtly sweet and heady vinegar made from cooked grape must of Negroamaro and Malvasia grapes. This elixir can be used as a condiment: drizzle it over meats, salad, vegetable, soups and even desserts, especially ice cream and fruit.
I used the vincotto in the recipe that’s courtesy of Chef Rene Lenger of Switch restaurant in Las Vegas.
Chilean sea bass with cauliflower puree, roasted artichokes, vincotto
Ingredients for cauliflower puree
½ pc. cauliflower head
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 pinch nutmeg
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pc. red pepper
Salt & white pepper
Make the puree
1. clean cauliflower and remove stems.
2. combine water and milk and bring to a boil. Simmer cauliflower until soft. Then remove from liquid and place into a blender.
3. puree slowly and add some of the milk into the puree until desired consistency is reached. Season the puree with salt, pepper and nutmeg. At the end emulsify extra virgin olive oil into the puree.
4. Cool puree until needed.
Ingredients for the roasted artichokes
6 pc. artichoke hearts, cleaned
as needed extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. lime zest
1 tbsp. thyme leaves
4 pc. skinned and deseeded tomatoes
3 pc. garlic cloves (crushed)
2 tbsp. vincotto
a few drops fresh lime juice
Make the artichokes
1. Quarter artichoke hearts and tomatoes and place into a bowl. Tossed them with olive oil, lime zest, thyme, salt and garlic cloves.
2. Lay artichokes and tomatoes onto a sheet pan roast in the oven until the artichokes are fork tender. Reserve the seasoned olive oil from the sheet pan.
3. Set aside until needed.
Make the fish
Cook fish over medium heat in extra virgin olive oil with a slice of lime until fork tender.
Assemble dish
1. Warm artichokes and tomatoes in some of the reserved seasoned olive oil and add vincotto. Season with slat and pepper.
2. Place cauliflower puree in the center of the plate.
3. Center the fish on top of the cauliflower pure and top it with the vegetables. Drizzle fresh olive oil around the fish into the puree.
4. Squeeze couple of drops of fresh lime juice onto the fish.
5. Garnish the dish with sea salt and micro greens, if desired.
Vincotto is available at Dean & DeLuca.
If you’re heading to Las Vegas, dine at Switch Steak, located in the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas.
