Executive Chef Michael Dacquisto prepares
Pan Fried Lake Winnipeg Pickerel with
Fluffy Manitoba Wild Rice over
Carrot Ginger Butter Sauce with
Sautéed Baby Vegetables

Ingredients: Pickerel 400g Pickerel Fillets Salt and Pepper Flour 30ml Vegetable Oil   Wild Rice 250ml Wild Rice 750ml Chicken Stock 5ml Salt Golden Whitefish Caviar Small spoon per person Carrot Ginger Sauce 1kg Carrots (peeled) 50g Ginger Root (whole) 100g butter (1cm cubes, cold) Salt and Pepper to taste   Sautéed Baby Vegetables Julienne of Red Peppers Snow Peas Baby Carrots Clarified Butter Methods: Pickerel Lightly season fillets with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. Place oil in non-stick pan over medium heat, frying until golden brown. Turn over and finish frying until second side is golden brown. Remove and serve immediately. Comments: Pickerel (also known as Walleye) is a very mild flavoured and delicate fish, which should not be over cooked or over seasoned. Light flavourful butter sauces such as the carrot ginger are an excellent combination. I suggest serving with wild rice and lightly sautéed baby vegetables. Wild Rice Wash and drain the wild rice very well. Place in a heavy bottom pot with the stock and salt. Simmer for 45 minutes or until rice has just begun to burst open. Comments: Water or vegetable stock can be used instead of chicken stock. Small diced vegetables such as carrots, celery or onions may be sautéed and added to the rice at the beginning of the cooking. Carrot Ginger Butter Sauce Using a mechanical juice extractor, juice the carrots and the ginger. Place together in stainless or other non-reactive pot and reduce the juice by half. While juice is boiling, add cubed butter one piece at a time, whisking continuously until all the butter is incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Comments: Sauce is best used immediately, but will hold for a short time over hot water. Sautéed Baby Vegetables Sauté a handful of the mixture for about 1 minute. To Serve Place the wild rice centre back of the plate. Lay the pickerel fillets on the side of the rice, leaving 1/3rd of the plate empty. Ladle sauce over edge of the fillets and fill the empty part of the plate. Lay the baby vegetables around the edges of the rice and garnish the fillets with the strips of red pepper. Sprinkle a few rose petals on the plate for a pretty effect. A small spoon of golden whitefish caviar makes a wonderful garnish, with a few sprigs of flat leaf parsley.