Chef Maxwell's
Croaker Escabeche

Servings 4

4 whole croaker, 2 lbs each, cleaned/scaled
1 cup flour salt and pepper
½ cup corn starch
8 strips Surry Bacon, diced
1 T garlic, minced
2 T shallot, minced
1 tsp. mustard seed
½ cup onion, sliced
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup apple cider
1 pound collard greens, fresh

Remove stems from collards; wash greens well and cut into a chiffonade. Wash the fish well, and make two cuts on each side. Season fish with salt and pepper. Combine flour and cornstarch, and dredge fish in the mixture, getting mixture into center of each. Cook half the bacon until crisp; remove bacon and set aside. Brown each fish in the bacon fat for about 5 minutes on each side. If fish are thick, finish cooking in oven. Wipe the skillet clean, and cook remaining bacon; set bacon aside. Add garlic and shallots to bacon fat, and cook until just done. Add mustard seeds and onion. Deglaze mixture with vinegar and cider. Add collards, and quickly stir until they wilt. Remove from heat and pour the cooking liquid over the fish. Arrange collards on plates, topping with croaker. Crumble reserved bacon and sprinkle over each serving.