Grilled Sardines, Salsa Verdi, Toasted Ciabatta, Roast Garlic Aioli, Red Wine Vinaigrette

by Kata Rocks

Kata

Grilled Sardines, Salsa Verdi, Toasted Ciabatta, Roast Garlic Aioli, Red Wine Vinaigrette

Resort Manager & Executive Chef Steve Baker

Kata Rocks Phuket Luxury Residence & Resort
Tel: +66 76 370777
www.katarocks.com
www.facebook.com/katarocksphuket

Ingredients

4 or 5 pieces fresh deboned sardines
1 tbsp salsa verdi
1 thick slice ciabatta bread
1 tsp roast garlic aioli
1 tbsp red wine vinaigrette
2 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 good pinch sea salt
1 pinch black ground pepper
1 tsp flour for dusting the sardines
2 sprigs watercress, Italian parsley or micro greens
1 good squeeze fresh lime juice
1 lemon wedge

Method

Clean as many bones as possible from the sardines and remove the heads
Season the skin side only of the sardines with sea salt pepper and dust with the flour
Pan fry on the skin side only for about 1 minute only so they are still soft in texture. Do not turn them over in the pan. Remove and reserve.
Chargrill or toast the ciabatta and spread with the salsa Verdi
Place the sardines on top of the grilled bread then one teaspoon of aioli on top with micro greens and a squeeze of fresh lime
Dress the plate with the red wine vinaigrette

Salsa Verdi

One handful of ciabatta bread soaked with about 50 ml of fresh milk, half a handful of chopped parsley, one tablespoon of capers, two anchovy fillets a good squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice and about 75-100 ml of good olive oil. Pulse in a blender until it resembles a pesto.

Roast Garlic Aioli

Add about 50 gm or three tablespoons of mayonnaise, four cloves of pre-roasted garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice, one teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper.

Red Wine Dressing

One tablespoon each of finely diced red green and yellow peppers, two sprigs of fresh chopped thyme leaves, one tablespoon of chopped parsley, ½ teaspoon of fresh finely chopped garlic, two tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 50 ml good olive oil, one teaspoon of soft brown sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper.

Notes: Keep it simple and let the sardines sing…
Do not overcook the sardines; they can be eaten raw with a squeeze of fresh citrus so be careful or they will be dry. Make sure you enjoy this dish with a good glass of bubbly, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc.

About Resort Manager & Executive Chef Steve Baker

Over the past 20 years, Steve has prospered as a hands-on chef, entrepreneur, advisor and consultant on numerous aspects of cuisine creation. He has practiced his art in exotic locations around the world; from Bermuda to Bali and from Toronto to Shanghai. He was previously engaged at Sir Terence Conran’s internationally acclaimed Quaglino’s Restaurant in Mayfair, The Water Club in New York City and at the Hotel Alex in Zermatt. Steve’s Asian expertise has been honed for the past 13 years in Shanghai as the owner, CEO & Executive Chef of Larder Bar & Grill; as well as the internationally renowned Mesa & Manifesto, Restaurant & Bar, credited with introducing modern Australian cuisine to Shanghai. “I have a very strong contemporary dining philosophy which marries the freshest seasonal produce with the cultural influences and societies we live in. At Kata Rocks we are constantly looking for that little extra edge to offer our guests a truly infinite luxury dining experience like no other in Phuket.”