Sturgeon remains on the top of my 'favorite fish' list. It's meaty and most comparable to chicken. There are many ways to cook it, by my favorite method is Sous Vide. You get a perfectly cooked, ultra juicy fish that gets a quick sear in the end to color the top. Since the summertime vegetables are ramping up, I decided to pair the fish with a homemade tomato based seafood stock as well as some tarragon to liven it up. 

     The seafood stock was made using the prawn shells, so when you buy your shellfish, make sure they have the shell on so you can use them to flavor your stock. They're also a little cheaper since less labor went into them. I finished the broth with some preserved mushrooms that I had in the fridge. The exact mushrooms consisted of Morel, Porcini, Maitake and Shiitakes, although you can use whatever is available at the time, or sub them out for another vegetable altogether. 

Ingredients

• 1/2lb of medium prawns, shells on
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 large shallots
• 2/3 cup White Wine (Sauvignon Blanc)
• 7 small heirloom tomatoes
• 1tbsp tomato paste
• 20oz filtered water
• 1 bay leaf
• 12 peppercorns
• 3 sprigs tarragon
• .25 quart of mushroom conserva
• avocado oil
• kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions

Seafood Tomato Broth

• remove the shrimp shells and wash them in cold water
• clean the shrimp and butterfly by cutting down the center of the back
• heat avocado oil over medium heat
• add the shrimp shells and saute until they start to turn opaque, 3 mins
• add garlic, saute until fragrant
• add shallot, saute until translucent
• add white wine, reduce by 2/3
• add tomato paste, stir to incorporate
• add tomatoes, saute for 2 mins
• add water
• add bay leaf and peppercorns
• add nice pinch of salt
• bring to a boil
• reduce to a simmer
• add tarragon
• simmer uncovered for 30 mins
• strain and reduce down by 1/3
• add a splash of champagne vinegar, then salt to taste
• kill heat, add a sprig of tarragon and let it steep while you cook the sturgeon 

Sturgeon

• season with kosher salt and onion powder 
• vacuum pack on ‘gentle’ with 1oz of chicken stock
• cook at 61ºC for 16 minutes
• remove from bag, gently pat dry
• season the exterior with salt
• sear in pan until golden brown. less than one minute
• transfer to rack
• finish with Maldon salt and fresh cracked pepper
• when plating, add a few tarragon leaves to the broth for extra fragrance
• add the preserved mushrooms around the plate

The Finished Dish