The Diving Horse's Char Recipe By Jonathan Adams
A fresh approach to fish
Thanks to MTV, we're now all too familiar with the Jersey Shore. But there's another kind of beach culture along the Garden State coastline, one that includes fine dining and fresh ingredients. If you don't believe us, check out The Diving Horse, a new restaurant in classy Avalon, where chef Jonathan Adams fills his American menu with New Jersey's spectacular seafood and seasonal produce–as in this pairing of a vibrant raw vegetable salad with arctic char. Feel free to substitute salmon, but stop by your farmers' market for the fresh sweet corn and green beans that make this dish a standout.
Recipe adapted from Jonathan Adams, The Diving Horse, Avalon, New Jersey
Char with Lentil and Corn Salad
Chef Jonathan Adam's recipe for char and lentil salad from The Diving Horse Restaurant in Avalon, NJ
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked beluga or French lentils
- 1 celery rib, diced
- 1 medium shallot, very thinly sliced
- ¼ pound green beans, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 small carrot, grated or cut into matchsticks
- Kernels from 1 ear of corn
- 2 tablespoons minced chives
- 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ cup plus 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- Four 6-ounce arctic char or salmon fillets
Directions
- Make the salad: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the lentils, celery, shallot, green beans, carrot, corn, chives, sherry vinegar, ⅛ teaspoon of the salt and 3 teaspoons of the olive oil. Toss until well mixed. Let the lentil and corn salad stand at room temperature for one hour.
- Make the dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mustards, lemon juice, ⅛ teaspoon of the salt and ½ cup of the olive oil.
- Season the fish on both sides with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the fish, skin side down, in the pan, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn the fish over and cook until just opaque in the center, about 2 to 3 minutes longer.
- Divide the salad among 4 plates. Place a piece of fish on top of the salad, spoon some of the vinaigrette on and around the fish and serve.