I enjoy the art of making a good sauce, but wanted something different as a means of finishing a plate-up and enhancing the flavor of the dish. I served seared halibut with saffron risotto, squash, rapini, and chanterelles. Typically I might serve a white wine reduction finished with some cream and butter - however, the client specifically asked for something without a lot of cream.
I like using vinaigrettes ... the acid content helps brighten up an otherwise rich plate. I wanted this vinaigrette to have a little zip. I wanted sweetness to accompany the fish, so I opted for a balsamic vinaigrette.
I obtained a fresh cayenne pepper at a local grocery store. I split the pepper in half lengthwise and crushed the fleshy part with the blunt back of a knife blade. This was to release some of the crucial oils in the pepper so they'd be more accessible.
I put the slightly-crushed pepper halves into the vinaigrette. I completed this step before I got into any other prep and production ... this gave the pepper time to macerate in the vinaigrette. By the time I was ready for plate-up, I tasted it and it was pretty much where I wanted it to be - the sweetness of the balsamic vinegar was dominant, but in the back of the mouth I caught some of the essence of the pepper's fire. The client loved it!
