Fish Fridays - Mark Falgoust

Often in life true talent finds you instead of the other way around. Back in January, we were invited by the folks at Grand Isle to sample some new dishes which they were experimenting with. While little of what we tasted has found a permanent home on the menu (and therefore why we didn't write about it here), we were blown away by several of the creations of Chef Mark Falgoust.

We attempted to secure his services for our "Farewell to Meat" series, but Mark was a little busy at the time with his impending nuptials as well as other chefly duties (like figuring out how to cater his own wedding reception). While his "Pork Bomb.com" will have to wait till next year's Carnival for unveiling, his turtle sauce piquant was ripe and ready for Fish Fridays.

"The secret to the sauce is equal parts red sauce and brown sauce," says Mark. His red sauce recipe is akin to Tony Mandina's, while his brown sauce is a derivative of the massive quantities of stock made in the kitchen every week. Together these two simmer with trinity, chilis, and turtle meat.

Upon presentation, a strong aroma of lemon wafts from the plate to your nose, and the heat from the chilis linger on the tongue after each bite. In our opinion, this thick stew could rival seafood gumbo as your potage of choice on Lenten Fridays.

While his love for charcuterie and the rustic foods of South Louisiana are an homage to his roots, Mark's training and experience - his resume includes stints at Peristyle, Herbsaint, Cochon, and Craft in NYC - expands his culinary range into more "refined" cuisine as well. A perfect example is the ad hoc oyster salad which he created just a few hours before we arrived in the kitchen.

The dish begins with an assortment of chopped, grilled vegetables - fennel, zucchini, and mushrooms - and a julienne of roasted red pepper. These are tossed in a salsa verde composed of mint, Vietnamese chilis, garlic, and parsley ground by mortar and pestle. The oysters were brined for 45 minutes in a mixture of salt, sugar, and sriracha. (Did we mention that Mark loves chilis?) After a quick drain, he smokes the oysters over low heat until they just begin to plump up. After the oysters cool, they tossed in simple cornmeal batter and dropped in the deep fryer.

Place vegetables on a plate along with a drizzle of salsa verde and a pool of tarragon aioli, stack oysters, another touch of aioli, and marvel. I cannot put into words how delicious this was and can only hope that one day we will all be able to order it off the menu at Grand Isle.

Bon appetit.