Chef Jenn (Jennifer Felmley)
Chef Jenn (Jennifer Felmley) knows flavor. A seasoned private chef and culinary instructor, she has worked with every marination method out there—but one stands above the rest. Trained internationally in Italy, Germany, and England, and now based in California, she brings a world of expertise to every dish.
Chef Jenn has also shared her expertise as an instructor at Sur La Table, Rancho La Puerta, and Johnson & Wales University, and has traveled throughout California and Texas leading cooking demonstrations.
“As a Culinary Professional, I’ve seen how vacuum marination intensifies flavor more than traditional marinating methods,” says Chef Jenn. With SeasonSeal and its Season Mode Feature, anyone can achieve deep, rich flavors in minutes instead of hours. As she puts it, “Now, everyone can do it with SeasonSeal and the Season Mode Feature.”
Hibiscus Civeche with SeasonSeal
SERVINGS: 4–6 appetizer size
PREP & MARINATION: 35–55 minutes
TIME SAVED WITH SEASONSEAL: 4–6 hours!
INGREDIENTS
9 oz. white fish (halibut, sea bass, red snapper, etc.), deboned with the skin off
Marinade:
2 tsp dried hibiscus powder
1/3 cup fresh orange juice (1–2 oranges)
1 cup fresh lime juice (4–6 limes)
1/3 cup red onion, roughly chopped
1 small garlic clove, smashed
1/4 cup cilantro stems, chopped (reserve leaves for garnish)
1/4–1/2 large jalapeño, chopped
1–1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (start with 1, adjust to taste)
1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pat the fish dry with a paper towel and cut into ¼–½ inch cubes. Place in the SealVax SeasonSeal 46-oz non-reactive glass container.
- In a blender, combine marinade ingredients and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing to extract all liquid. Taste and adjust with salt as needed.
- Pour the marinade over the fish in the SeasonSeal, spreading evenly, and leave 1 inch of space below the lid.
- Secure the lid, lock, and flip the lever to open (required for Season Mode to cycle). Place the vacuum device on the lid port and press the button for 5 seconds until a blue light appears. It will cycle for about 30 minutes, until the halibut is opaque and just “cooked” on the outside.
- Serve immediately, or chill 10 minutes. For more well-done fish, continue running Season Mode until opaque throughout.
- While the fish chills, prepare garnishes. To serve, remove fish from the liquid and plate with julienned red onion, cilantro leaves, mini bell peppers, and jalapeño. Serve with tortilla chips, tostadas, or lettuce cups.
Notes from Chef Jenn: Hibiscus powder is available at specialty shops or online. To make your own, grind dried hibiscus in a coffee grinder. Unflavored hibiscus tea may also be substituted.