Daring Cook's July Challenge: Skate -Traditional Flavors Powdered

This is my first submission to the The Daring Kitchen: Daring Cook's Challenge- July. The concept of the dish was based on Molecular Cuisine- A dish from Grant Achatz, found in the Alinea cookbook - page 230. The month's challenge was hosted by Sketchy who chose a recipe that could be completed without having to order a bunch of specialized chemicals or powders. Indeed, you don't have to order powders because you will be making it! What a challenge indeed!

I was a bit intimidated by this dish when I first had the chance to open the forum. One of the tools the dish called for was a dehydrator? What on earth is a dehydrator! Oh dear... and we don't have any extra cooking utensils, no mortar and pestle, no coffee grinder, no sifter....i am doomed!

But, as I moved onto the host's post, a microwave could be used in lieu of the dehydrator and so is the oven too. Thank God we have oven and a microwave. So, I decided to go on with the challenge.

The original recipe used cod but since you get to substitute any other fish you like, I used Lapu-Lapu or Red Grouper. How I love this fish!

Everything was done in the microwave except for the coconut powder (substitute for milk powder)which was baked in the oven and because we don't have a mortal and pestle, I used a thick glass mug and wrapped the herbs and spices in a white bond paper individually...pounded each with a mug... I had to go out to our local store to buy a small sifter...

I got an A+++ from Audax Artifex for using a mug to pound the herbs and spices =P..a daring move indeed and made me an official Daring Cook! weeeee

These are the changes I made:

Milk Powder: Coconut Powder

Fish: Grouper

Powders:

Chilli: Red

Lemon: Yellow (next to red chilli powder)

Onion: Brown

Chives: Green

Ginger: Yellow

Slicing of banana and fine beans

Verdict:

The dish was delicious! The spices just sort of marry in your mouth the moment you chew it. I don't have the technical terms to explain it but the contrast with the sweetness of banana, the grouper and the fine beans and the tangy and spicy flavors of the powdered herbs were absolutely mind blowing!

I think I will have a growing affection with molecular cuisine...hmm..