Hiramasa au Poivre

Name: Hiramasa au Poivre
Prep time: 60 s
Cook time: 30 s
Total time: 240 s
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: HIRAMASA (AMBERJACK); Amberjack fillet; Salt; Sugar; Red white and black peppercorns; Cornstarch; Egg white; Potato flakes; Grapeseed oil; FENNEL ESCABECHE; Fennel; Orange juice; Lemon zest; Espelette pepper; Saffron; Salt; Sugar; Lemon oil; Water; Champagne vinegar; RED PEPPER AU POIVRE SAUCE; Shallots; Garlic; Pink peppercorns; Black peppercorns; White peppercorns; Fresno chile; Ginger; Cognac; Vermouth

04 Feb 2025

RJ Yoakum

Chef

Difficulty

Challenge

Total Time

4H 0MIN

Cuisine

American

Japanese

Ingredients

HIRAMASA (AMBERJACK)

Amberjack fillet: 500 g

Salt: 50 g

Sugar: 50 g

Red, white, and black peppercorns: 10 g (crushed)

Cornstarch: 30 g

Egg white: 1

Potato flakes: 50 g

Grapeseed oil: 1 tbsp

FENNEL ESCABECHE

Fennel: 1,250 g (shaved)

Orange juice: 350 g

Lemon zest: 3 Meyer lemons

Espelette pepper: 1 g

Saffron: 1 g

Salt: 15 g

Sugar: 15 g

Lemon oil: 250 g

Water: 250 g

Champagne vinegar: 250 g

RED PEPPER AU POIVRE SAUCE

Shallots: 150 g (finely chopped)

Garlic: 50 g (minced)

Pink peppercorns: 15 g

Black peppercorns: 15 g

White peppercorns: 15 g

Fresno chile: 30 g (chopped)

Ginger: 15 g (minced)

Cognac: 375 g

Vermouth: 375 g

Shirodashi: 125 g

Black pepper olive oil: For finishing

This Hiramasa au Poivre by chef RJ Yoakum of Georgie features tender amberjack crusted with peppery potato flakes, served alongside a tangy fennel escabeche and a vibrant red pepper au poivre sauce.

How to make Hiramasa au Poivre

01.

Prepare the Amberjack

Clean and portion the amberjack fillet. Mix the salt, sugar, and crushed red, white, and black peppercorns to create a curing blend.
Coat the fish evenly with the curing mixture and let it rest for 3 hours.
After curing, rinse off the mixture and pat the fish dry with paper towels.
Whisk the cornstarch with the egg white to create a slurry.
Dip the fish into the slurry, then coat it with a mixture of potato flakes and crushed red, white, and pink peppercorns.
Heat a tbsp of grapeseed oil in a pan over medium heat. Sear the fish on the crust side until golden and crisp.
Slice the fish into three portions and finish cooking in an oven at 375 F until it reaches medium doneness.

02.

Make the Fennel Escabeche

Heat the orange juice, Meyer lemon zest, espelette, saffron, salt, sugar, lemon oil, water, and champagne vinegar in a pot until hot (but not boiling).
Add the shaved fennel to the mixture and gently massage it to coat.
Transfer the mixture to a vacuum-seal bag and cryovac to marinate until needed.

03.

Prepare the Red Pepper Au Poivre Sauce

Sauté the shallots, garlic, Fresno chili, and ginger in a pot until aromatic.
Add the pink, black, and white peppercorns to the pot and toast briefly to release their oils.
Deglaze the pot with cognac and vermouth, then reduce until slightly thickened.
Stir in the shirodashi and continue cooking until the flavors meld.
Emulsify the sauce with a hand blender, then add black pepper olive oil to “break” the sauce, creating a slightly separated texture.

04.

Plate the Dish

On a plate, spread a thin layer of the red pepper au poivre sauce as the base.
Arrange the crusted amberjack portions on top of the sauce.
Add small mounds of fennel escabeche around the plate for acidity and brightness.
Garnish with microgreens, edible flowers, or finely shaved fennel for a sophisticated finish.

04 Feb 2025

The Chef

RJ Yoakum grew up in Orange County, California, where he first developed a love for food through his aunt. “She was the matriarch of our family, a very good cook, and she brought everybody together with food,” Yoakum recalls. Initially planning to play collegiate basketball, he made a sudden shift to the culinary world, becoming a dishwasher at 19.

Within months, Yoakum’s talent and determination stood out, earning him a recommendation to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York. “I had never been to New York, but I knew it was the epicenter of culinary,” he says. “I just had to throw myself in there and see how far I could go.”

Yoakum’s hunger to learn took him from staging in Michelin-starred restaurants like The Clove Club in London to immersing himself in global culinary traditions. “I wanted to either go to Europe or Asia,” he explains, and his studies brought him to Italy, France, and Japan. He fondly recalls traveling through Champagne and Southern Italy, saying, “I just wanted to immerse myself in something I didn’t really know a lot about, like wine.”

After graduating in 2018, Yoakum joined Angler in San Francisco, where he refined his craft under Joshua Skenes, and then The French Laundry in Napa Valley, where he honed his creativity and discipline. “The French Laundry was incredibly competitive,” he says. “You weren’t there to make friends, but to get the job done.”

In 2023, Yoakum took the helm at Georgie in Dallas. Despite challenges, he transformed the restaurant into a New American gem, working closely with local farmers and ranchers to highlight Texas ingredients in innovative ways. “I’ve had to manipulate and play with food a lot more here because it’s not California,” he explains. “But I think that’s one of my strengths—it’s working so far.”

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