I use this mother sauce all the time with fish like sea bass, cod, and tonight it was skate. I was in Beirut a few summers ago. A wealthy Lebanese businessman who was living part time in NYC had taken a liking to my music and I had become a regular at his fancy dinner parties entertaining the wealthy friends artists, film makers, and some of the most beautiful women in world. We became better friends and it wasn't long before I was coming early and helping out in the kitchen. Ahmad had owned several restaurants and though never a "chef" per se was all that and more. It was what i would do if money were no object. I'd party most nights and feed the people I wanted to see. The ingredients were all top notch. The pata negra ham we'd slice is over 130 bucks a pound. The dried fish roe, the uni trays, money was no object. I became familiar with his repertoire and one thing I cam away with was his mother sauce. So simple and so delicious. I will cook this sauce for the rest of my life.
Start with some nice fresh vine ripened tomatoes, could use heirlooms, could even use roma's in a jam. small dice, and add 5 or more whole cloves of garlic. I love garlic. Cook in olive oil on low heat while dicing and move around a bit as to not burn. When the aroma is full and the dicing is done add the tomatoes and cook down for 10 to 20 minutes add salt and you have a fresh mother sauce. I have added saffron to this and it sings, tonight it was dried chipotle, rosemary from the garden, and some nice dried mexican oregano (just a touch of that). I salted it a bit with himalayan sea salt and some tellicherry peppercorns.
We wanted fresh cod but it was sunday night and they were out of that. It has been on special all weekend for 10 bucks a pound. I spotted some skate wing, the last of it and rounded it out a pound with some cleaned fresh squid.
I cooked up some organic black rice pasta to house the sauce.
I seasoned the skate and dredged in a gluten free flour blend of rice, sorghum and tapioca I have been using. seared up one side in a couple of minutes over med high heat in olive oil, flip it and remove from pan. add more olive oil and add the squid, lightly season. they cook fast. After a minute or two I added a pat of butter then the mother sauce to the squid. brought the black rice pasta in to the mix to get some heat (temperature) on it. the served.... I put some halved baby zucchini's under the broiler and served it on the side. and that was tonights meal.
Skate and Squid in mother sauce with black rice pasta and broiled zucchini's
this meal cost about 11 dollars and fed two. calories? I can figure that out but that will take me a minute. lemme get back to you. tell ya this. not many.
Start with some nice fresh vine ripened tomatoes, could use heirlooms, could even use roma's in a jam. small dice, and add 5 or more whole cloves of garlic. I love garlic. Cook in olive oil on low heat while dicing and move around a bit as to not burn. When the aroma is full and the dicing is done add the tomatoes and cook down for 10 to 20 minutes add salt and you have a fresh mother sauce. I have added saffron to this and it sings, tonight it was dried chipotle, rosemary from the garden, and some nice dried mexican oregano (just a touch of that). I salted it a bit with himalayan sea salt and some tellicherry peppercorns.
I cooked up some organic black rice pasta to house the sauce.
I seasoned the skate and dredged in a gluten free flour blend of rice, sorghum and tapioca I have been using. seared up one side in a couple of minutes over med high heat in olive oil, flip it and remove from pan. add more olive oil and add the squid, lightly season. they cook fast. After a minute or two I added a pat of butter then the mother sauce to the squid. brought the black rice pasta in to the mix to get some heat (temperature) on it. the served.... I put some halved baby zucchini's under the broiler and served it on the side. and that was tonights meal.
this meal cost about 11 dollars and fed two. calories? I can figure that out but that will take me a minute. lemme get back to you. tell ya this. not many.
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