It was Mansell’s 12 th birthday yesterday. We partied at the beach and it was a blast. Her requested menu started with Grilled sushi tuna served rare, sliced thin and plated along side pickled ginger, wasabi and soy, Asa Gosman sent us the nicest piece of Tuna I’ve ever seen. She also wanted steamed mussels and marinara sauce, hot dogs, burgers and tomato mozzarella and olive oil (fresh from the airport in Rome.) Our good pal Michael Cinque arrived just in time with Fudgie the Whale from Carvel and we all sang for the birthday girl.
At The Little Kitchen we’ve taken a hint from The Lodge Salad, replacing the shrimp with pan roasted Blackfish. Our neighbor Bette is growing wonderful green beans and the tomatoes are off the hook. The dish calls for a finish of crushed crisp bacon which must go in at the end and on top in order to land a crunch to the dish.
Bette’s Beans and Blackfish:
Serves 4
2 cups of fresh green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 cup of leeks, chopped and rinsed
2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
8 strips of bacon, crisp, best if it comes off the breakfast table
1 large ripe tomato, the most wonderful tomato you can find
4 10 oz pieces of Blackfish
Blanch and chill the beans in ice water, drain and hold cold.
Sautee the leeks in EVO until they begin to soften, hold at room temp.
For service toss the vegetables with ½ cup of red wine vinaigrette, add ½ of the bacon at the end. Using great care slice your beautiful tomato into 4 pieces and place one in the center of each plate, top with the salad. These plates can sit at room temp. Cover with a towel until you finish the fish. Top each plate with 10 oz pieces of blackfish roasted in olive oil and herbs. Finally garnish the fish with the remaining bacon.