The Apollo Whitefish & Pickled Pepper

Before you start

• Clear the decks for the cold retard.

  Ensure your refrigerator has enough flat, uninterrupted space to accommodate the covered sheet pans of bagels for a full 24 hours.

• Cure the whitefish salad.

  If time allows, mix the whitefish salad an hour before serving, or even the night before, to allow the sharp alliums and lactic tang of the sour cream to properly meld with the smoke.

Ingredients

• high-gluten flour1000 g
• filtered water520 g
• fine sea salt20 g
• diastatic malt powder15 g
• instant commercial yeast4 g
• non-diastatic malt syrup2 tbsp
• everything or sesame seed mix1 cup
• whole hot-smoked whitefish1 1/2 lb
• mayonnaise1/3 cup
• full-fat sour cream1/4 cup
• celery rib1 med
• fresh lemon juice2 tbsp
• fresh chives1 tbsp
• fresh dill1 tbsp
• spicy brown deli mustard1 tbsp
• pickled jalapeño rings1 tbsp
• Persian cucumber1 med

Method

1. 01

   Hydrate the malt and mix the foundational stiff dough.

   In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the water, yeast, and diastatic malt. Allow to hydrate for 5 minutes, then add the high-gluten flour and salt, mixing on the lowest speed for 8 to 10 minutes until the friction forces the exceptionally dry mass to hydrate.

2. 02

   Bulk ferment the mass and portion into uniform rounds.

   Transfer the dough to an ungreased counter, form into a tight boule, and rest covered with a damp towel for 1 hour. Divide the dough into 115g portions and roll each into a tight, seamless ball.

3. 03

   Shape the bagels and commit to the cold retard.

   Punch a hole directly through the center of the dough ball and stretch outward evenly until the hole is approximately 2 inches wide. Place on semolina-dusted parchment lined baking sheets, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours to develop the crust's complex matrix.

4. 04

   Execute the float test and boil in malted water.

   Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil with the non-diastatic malt syrup. Drop one cold bagel into a bowl of water; if it floats, boil the batch for 45 seconds per side. If it sinks, let the pans sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before proceeding.

5. 05

   Seed the wet dough and bake to a blistered mahogany.

   While still wet from the boil, dip the bagels face-down into your seed mix. Transfer to parchment-lined sheets and bake at 450°F for 15 minutes, rotate the pans, and bake for an additional 5 to 8 minutes until deeply browned and heavily blistered.

6. 06

   Deconstruct the whitefish with obsessive precision.

   Peel back the golden skin of the whitefish and discard it. Using your fingers, lift the meat away from the spine and rib cage, flaking it into a large bowl while meticulously hunting down and discarding every last pin bone.

7. 07

   Bind the salad without crushing the delicate flakes.

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, celery, chives, chopped dill, and a heavy crack of black pepper. Pour over the fish and gently fold from the bottom up until just moistened.

8. 08

   Bisect the bagel with a horizontal, serrated cut.

   Using a proper bagel knife, slice the cooled bagel precisely in half along its equator, keeping the blade perfectly horizontal to ensure an even platform for the sandwich build.

9. 09

   Apply the unconventional mustard schmear.

   Lay both halves cut-side up. Using an offset spatula, apply a thin, even layer of spicy brown mustard to the bottom half, laying down the acidic foundation necessary to cut the oily fish.

10. 10

    Build the sandwich architecture for maximum structural integrity.

    Using an ice cream scoop, portion the whitefish salad over the mustard and spread evenly to the crust's edge. Scatter the chopped pickled jalapeños over the fish, shingle the cucumber slices to lock it down, and finish with delicate dill fronds, flaky salt, and the top half of the bagel.

Notes

• Never scoop a properly fermented bagel.

  While scooping the soft interior crumb is a standard deli request to hold massive amounts of sloppy salads, doing it here is a crime against baking. Our master dough produces an airy, digestible crumb that compresses perfectly under the bite. Scooping ruins the structural integrity required to support the whitefish.

• Respect the appetizing tradition.

  Do not attempt to make this salad with poached cod or canned tuna. The deeply woodsy, hot-smoked flesh of a Great Lakes whitefish is the non-negotiable soul of the dish.