This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
Until today, we knew fresh, salted, smoked or brined fish. Well, from now on we can enjoy aged fish. Visit the new Palomar fishmonger, where chef-owner Constant Mentzas explores dry maturation and marine charcuterie.
8 p.m. on a Tuesday evening. At the edge of the sleepy Jean-Talon market, a business still welcomes customers. This is Palomar, a fishmonger open for two months and whose name refers to the famous fishing knot. Its nerve center is made up of a long counter of fish, crustaceans and shellfish behind which cooks are busy, who can be seen working from high stools or from the adjoining dining room. However, the real magic of the establishment is found just behind, through the window of a rather special room where hollowed-out fish are suspended upside down. This is where we find Constant Mentzas, cutting one of these specimens.
Invent by reinventing yourself
Necessity is the mother of invention, says the proverb. Constant Mentzas is not his first 180 degree turn. A veritable walking encyclopedia of the marine environment, he is also one of those who best enhances them in the kitchen. This is what he offered us for more than eight years at Ikanos, a Mediterranean gourmet restaurant in Old Montreal that he converted last May into a fine steakhouse of the sea, the Coast Guard.
Boldness has always been part of the chef’s journey. As he himself admits: “I always have a list of things to do, and another of things to try. » This is precisely what he did during the pandemic, when he was actively looking for a solution to extend the life of his products, which he had to throw away because he could not use them. “I came across an article from a California fishmonger who was dry-curing his fish, so I called him directly. His technique was so simple that I was amazed: he hollowed out his fish and simply hung them in his fridge! »
The next day, Constant Mentzas tested this method with a few fish from his stock… without success. “The fish were rotting, so I thought this guy had lied to me!” he says. But as I saw the potential of this means of conservation, I persevered. » He then equipped himself with a “MacGiver” fridge arranged by a contact, allowing him to play with the humidity and temperature parameters. “I realized that it was the high humidity that we have here in Quebec which reduced the lifespan of the fish, a bit like that contained in ice which makes it soft and spongy even if it is still fresh” , he explains.
With controlled dry drying of the same type as that used for aged meats, the chef finally achieved his goals… and began to explore the possibilities of maturing fish.
Marine dry maturation
Since 2020, Constant Mentzas has tested a number of fish with his new method: monkfish, char, several varieties of salmon and tuna, halibut, swordfish, sea bass, black sea bass, snapper, walleye, turbot, Dover sole, mullet red, saint-pierre, etc. “White-fleshed fish, like halibut or cardel, find their “sweet spot” between 10 and 14 days of dry drying, but I can push that of oilier fish like salmon up to 60 days, and the tuna for up to 120 days,” he says. Only blue-fleshed fish such as sardines or mackerel lend themselves less well to this technique, it seems.
What does maturation actually bring to fish? “It is more subtle than with meats. In a few days, the skin of the fish thins, no longer sticks and becomes very crispy when cooked. As for the flesh, it is silkier and has more character. » Over time, these characteristics become more pronounced, and you can end up with a completely new product. But beware ! Since there is no more moisture in the fish, they must be cooked much more quickly than normal. “And I personally recommend that you serve them semi-cooked for an optimal experience,” specifies the chef.
Seafood charcuteries
If visitors to the Palomar are still in the process of taming Constant Mentzas’ aged fish, they have on the other hand immediately adopted his marine charcuteries, the preparation of which generally takes three to five weeks and which have also been the subject of numerous trial and error over the last few years. “They are a huge hit, so much so that I plan to double their production and regularly add new products! » declares the chef.
It must be said that they have something to attract attention. Salmon chorizo and nduja (sausage spread), tuna salamis, white or dry smoked hams made with swordfish, which are also found in bacon and andouille; the chef is clearly having fun exploring a new gourmet universe.
“I would like to draw up an inventory of unique marine products in Quebec,” admits Constant Mentzas, who is already thinking of transforming baby char into anchovies and monkfish into cheese head, of aging certain crustaceans such as lobster and, why not, to carry out canning experiments. If the result of these explorations is as sublime as what we tasted that Tuesday evening at Palomar, there is every reason to believe that the chef’s dream will come true.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.