Halibut sandwich











I guess these large halibut probably are not the best fish for a sandwich. The big ones are dense. This is the second and larger of two halibut filets or steaks or whatever that were packaged together and frozen. Tonight the thawed piece was sliced laterally for two flatter thinner halibut discs and the two discs poached together in a seasoned liquid. This is the smaller of the two discs, the larger cooked disc is chilled, the last fourth of that package. There were some half a dozen or so packages. 

I still have the poaching liquid, it seemed too valuable to waste. The flavoring started out with all the spice seeds that I have, 

* black peppercorn
* fennel seed
* whole clove
* cumin seed
* coriander seed.

Then a bunch of other things that aren't seeds,

* bay leaf
* chile flakes
* crystalized ginger
* sea salt
* dehydrated onion
* two partially smashed large garlic cloves
* sugar
* cider vinegar

The seeds were heated in a pot to get them going, then water, then the rest of all that ↑ is boiled vigorously to saturate and activate the dry ingredients like bay and chile flakes, melt the ginger, dissolve the sugar and salt and so forth, and then the heat is cut back. Way back. Below simmer. The fish poaches at just a few degrees above what would attract the Health Department and get you shut down. 

And now the poaching liquid also has the bits of fish protein that sloughed while poaching the two halibut discs at reduced temperature that haven't boiled. Seems  a very good good start for a seafood broth if started over and brought to a new boil. 

The sauce for the sandwich is stone ground mustard diluted with water and mixed with appreciable wasabi. I wanted horseradish and the closest thing to that around here right now is green wasabi. This is the real wasabi not the harsher ersatz horseradish wasabi, although tonight I would prefer that it was the cheaper harsher imitation. The aim was for the aromatic sauce to saturate the crusty bread. 

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