I made an interesting recipe the other night that I think is worth mentioning, if for nothing more than it was hard for me to find a recipe for using Uni in soup.
The theme for the evening was that everyone would make an updated version of a soul food they grew up with. I wanted to make an uni chowdah (being from Rockport and eating fish chowder weekly).
I began with this recipe:
http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=183143
I deviated from the recipe in a few ways. First, I added a tablespoon of Domecq 51-1a Amontillado Sherry to the cream/oyster broth, since that was my wine pairing. I also added a tablespoon of butter to add more chowdery notes to the stock. I found a great source for fresh Uni in Gloucester (nearby) and was able to secure 300 gram trays for $7. As such, I processed the butter/sherry/cream/oyster liquid with an extra third of a cup of Uni. This added a wonderful color to the stock and further infused that sweet creamy flavor into the dish. I finished by using some preboiled baby red potatoes that I thinly sliced (a thick setting on a truffle slicer is perfect) and microwaved at the last second before stacking 4 slices in the middle of the chowder. I also sprinkled the chives on top rather than mixed them to further the presentation.
This dish was awesome! It was very very rich, though. We were all moaning at the first sip and groaning at the last, so don't plan on more that 3/4 cup per person.
Best,
Joe
