<h2>Ingredients</h2>
Almond Butter:<strong>
</strong>1/2 cup (125 mL) finely chopped almonds
1 lb (500 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
Salt to taste

Bread Pudding:<strong>
</strong>Butter for the pan
3 medium potatoes, diced and cooked
1/2 loaf of bread, diced (Vives uses focaccia)
3 cups (750 mL) heavy cream (or a mixture of milk and cream)
5 large eggs
1 bunch of chives, finely diced
Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Sablefish:<strong>
</strong>1 ½ lb. (675 g) sablefish, sliced into 4 fillets
Olive oil to drizzle and for the pan
Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
1 zucchini, sliced into matchsticks
1 carrot, sliced into matchsticks
1 red pepper, sliced into matchsticks
1/2 sweet red onion, sliced thinly

<h2>Directions</h2>
Almond Butter:
Preheat the oven to 300 F (150 C). Place the chopped almonds on a parchment-lined sheet in a thin layer and toast for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool. Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, cream the butter at high speed for one minute, or until light and fluffy. Add cooled almonds, mix well and add salt to taste. Scrape one-quarter of the almond butter onto a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Fold one edge of the paper over the mixture and use the back of a long knife or palette knife to tighten the paper into a snug cylindrical case around the butter. Repeat with remaining butter to make four cylinders. Freeze 3 for later use. Wrap and refrigerate one cylinder.

Bread Pudding:
Increase the oven temperature to 350 F (180 C). Butter a gratin dish. Combine potatoes, bread and chives in a mixing bowl. Beat the eggs thoroughly, then add the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the custard to the potato-bread mixture, mixing with a rubber spatula. Pour into the prepared dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the eggs are set and don’t jiggle when the dish is moved. Remove from the oven. Cover loosely and keep warm.

Sablefish:
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a nonstick frying pan set over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the sablefish with salt and pepper to taste. Place the fillets in the pan, skin-side up, and cook without moving the fish until a golden crust forms, about 5 minutes. Turn the fish and repeat. For thicker fillets, finish cooking the fish, uncovered, in the oven.

While the fish finishes cooking, heat another sauté pan for the vegetables. Add about 1 1/2 tsp (22 mL) olive oil to the pan and add the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables until crisp-tender. Remove from heat.

To Assemble:
Remove Almond Butter from the fridge and slice into 8 circular discs, each about 1/2” (1.3 cm) in thickness. Slice the bread pudding and arrange on plates with vegetables. Top with the fish. Melt the Almond Butter in a hot pan, allowing it to brown and foam. Drizzle over the fish and serve promptly.

Serves 4

Recipe by  JP Vives