This is a dish in the raw. It is medallions of kampachi softly poached in gingerbread bisque and paired with miso soup compressed banana. The flavors blend.
We have been looking at finished soups, sauces and dressings as more than simply their originally intended purposes. In this case, we use the intensity of flavor and body inherent in the bisque as a medium to gently cook the fish.
Similarly, the firm and creamy texture of bananas easily lend themselves to many different expressions of flavor. We have enjoyed balancing bolder flavors like miso paste with the comforting texture and familiarity of the banana.
What's missing from this compilation is the spike of acid and an herbal accent to really pull things together. A few drops of sherry vinegar in the bisque to cut through the decadent, softly poached kampachi and some sliced chive stems, or even a scattering of pungent, violet chive blossoms would finish the dish on many different levels. Alternatively we could use dark rum soaked, sautéed pineapples tossed with a brunoise of jalapeño pepper instead of the bananas to brighten the flavor profile and add a final dusting of freshly ground allspice to pull everything together and balance the dish. There are always multiple ways to finish a dish. The question is simply which one tastes the best right now?
