Fried drum lightly dusted with seasoned cornstarch then fried until golden brown is served with a creamy marigold crema. This Day of the Dead recipe is a nod to our South Texas coastal town.
Fried Drum with Marigold Crema
I recently had the opportunity to co-host a Dia de Los Muertos dinner for the local community. Elena Flores and I asked a few talented people to join me as I wanted to showcase all the beauty of this tradition. Our plan was an evening where we could share the culture, beauty, and customs of Dia de Los Muertos through food, cocktails, and art. Our menu was creatively crafted by Omar Arellano, Svani Quintanilla, and Jesus Maldonado.
They approached the menu process by incorporating traditional Mexican ingredients traditionally used in Dia de Los Muertos, such as chocolate, seeds, marigolds, calabaza and even surprised our guest with baking traditional pan de muerto.
One of the dishes served touched on our coastal roots here in South Texas. Fried drum with marigold sauce served with a fall salad. Marigolds, cempasuchil is the traditional flower used to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos. An important Day of the Dead symbol these flowers symbolize death, referred to as the flower of the dead they are placed on the altar, the grave and the petals are sprinkled on the floor to lead the dead to their grave. It is believed that marigolds guide the spirit of the dead to their altars using their vibrant color and fragrance.
The fried drum was lightly dusted with seasoned cornstarch then fried until golden brown. Served family style the fried drum was drizzled with the creamiest marigold sauce the Chefs made the night before.
The crema was made by first caramelizing onions, garlic, and dried marigold flowers. The caramelized marigolds were placed in a container then a mix of buttermilk, heavy cream and Texas honey was added, a quick stir and it was left out overnight to thicken and infuse with the caramelized marigolds.
The fried drum was served warm with plenty of the marigold crema drizzled over the fish. Our dinner guests clapped in excitement as the fried fish hit the table. Served with a fall salad that consisted of thinly sliced pears, apples, pumpkin seeds and cucumbers the fried drum was light, fluffy and delicious.
Fried Drum with Marigold Crema
Yield 4 Serves
Fried drum lightly dusted with seasoned cornstarch then fried until golden brown is served with a creamy marigold crema. This Day of the Dead recipe is a nod to our South Texas coastal town.
Ingredients
2 lbs whole drum
4 cups cornstarch
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup dried marigold
3 cloves whole garlic
1 red onion
1/4 cup honey
1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Pre-heat fryer to 350 degrees.
To prep the fish:
We used fresh whole drum from our local fish market Morgan street seafood. (Make sure you ask for fish gutted)
Season cornstarch with salt and pepper. Coat the drum evenly.
Fry fish for 7-10 minutes until golden brown.
Marigold créma for salad:
In a pan over medium-high heat add olive oil. Caramelize onions, garlic, and marigold together until nice and fried
In separate container mix 1/2 cup buttermilk, 4 cups heavy cream and 1/4 cup honey. Mix all ingredients, blend, Cover and leave out overnight (leaving out overnight helps it curdles)
Consistency should be like sour cream!
This salad you can mix and match to whatever toppings you’d like, but if you like our suggestion we’d put pears, pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, and cucumbers! Enjoy!
Courses Dinner
Cuisine Mexican
When do you use the lemon in this recipe? Thanks!