Jeremiah Tower
Jeremiah Tower, an icon of California cuisine, reports that
the 1976 California Regional Dinner Festival was the tipping
point for the California-cooking movement. A crew of chefs
was desperately trying to make California ingredients fit a
French menu when he suddenly realized that local ingredients
could and should stand on their own. Chef Tower decided to
put all the California ingredients into one menu and change
the language of the menu from French to English. He says
they even served fine California wines, of which there were
very few at the time, and called the meal the California
Regional Dinner. It was met with rave reviews and pushed
California cuisine into the national spotlight.
Fast and Easy Plate-Cooked
Fish Paillard with Ginger, Garlic
and Tomatoes
42-ounceslicesboneless, 1cupfishstock
skinlessfilletofsalmon, 12-ouncepiecefresh
halibut,grouper,red ginger,peeled,
snapper,sturgeon, finelychopped
sea bass or albacore,
nothickerthan1/4inch 3garliccloves,
finely chopped
3 tablespoons butter,
divided 2/3cupchoppedtomatoes
Saltandfreshlyground 12sprigsfreshcilantro
black pepper
1. Preheat the broiler or oven. Pound fish slices
between pieces of lightly oiled plastic wrap or
in resealable bags until evenly 1/8 inch thick. Put
4 heat-resistant plates in the oven until hot. Remove
and brush each one with 1/2 teaspoon of butter.
2. Season the paillards of fish with salt and pepper
and put one on each heated plate. Mix fish stock,
ginger, garlic and tomatoes in a sauté pan. Bring
to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Whisk remaining
butter into the sauce and pour over the fish.
Garnish with cilantro. Makes 4 servings.
