Originally Posted by
rojoguio
Browning the dry seasonings in butter first wakes up the flavoring oils trapped in the seasonings in the drying process. We all have cooked then tasted for salt & pepper. The dish will taste like it needs more black pepper so we add it. Come back 30 minutes and it tastes like too much. Happens quite a bit with Cayenne pepper. Also your toasting the seasonings like toasting bread, browning the outside of a pot roast, blackening fish, it adds depth and dimension, complexity to a dish. When working with such a delicate flavored fish as Crappie it's super easy to totally delete the mild fish flavor. Thick fillets need more cooking time and the water they release prevents any toasting from taking place at all. Too much seasonings without fully yielding their flavors and the fish is covered up completely. Ponzu is a Asian citrus sauce you can buy at most supermarkets, it's milder than Soy sauce, working the aromatics into the saute adds texture, body, and complementing flavors. Like most Asian sauces Ponzu mixes well with Garlic too. From a restaurant chain in Texas I took the "Warming" of the tomatoes. Papasitos Salsa is made with a warmed or lightly roasted tomatoes, they serve it warm too, wonderful addition to the flavor of the dish. The sugars present in the tomatoes are brought to the surface while countering the natural acids in the fruit. So the combination served over a aromatic rice like fresh steamed Jasmine completes the dish. This dish cooked with a production fish like Tilapia the fish can be cooked separately, placed in a warmer while the rest of the dish is cooked as long as butter & oils remain to flavor the additional ingredients. If left just a bit "wetter" you can assemble on the plate to feed more people. Being a Glutton, I wipe out the dishes posted here by myself.
