Alex Marsalek on Challenge 2
I prepared Hemp Encrusted Mackerel with Pasta in a Cream Sauce. I chose this dish because I thought a rich cream sauce would nicely complement the mackerel. The lemon in the mackerel was strong, so I knew it would cut through the creaminess of the sauce without overwhelming it.
The only secret ingredient that threw me a curveball was the hemp hearts. I had never had hemp hearts, but when I tried it, I knew they would be good toasted as a crust on the fish. I like seafood, so I was happy to have mackerel as one of the ingredients.
This week was challenging because of the pasta. Pasta is easy to cook with, but I figured many of the contestants would have to make a pasta dish. Therefore, if I also made a pasta dish, I would have to really make it stand out from the rest. I had to use bold flavors and pay attention to detail, as those would make the difference.
Although I did make a pasta dish, using the hemp to encrust the mackerel was a creative and unique way to make my recipe stand out. I was happy with the reaction of my taste-tester, my mom, Joyce. She usually doesn't like seafood, but she actually enjoyed the mackerel the way I prepared it.
Alex Marsalek