2023 - 14-16 Age Category - Winner
Ingredients
Cod
Rolled cod tail, butter, lemon juice, olive oil.
Sauce
Fresh & fermented kohlrabi, butter, cream, shallots, light chicken stock, fresh thyme, rosemary.
Lemon verbena oil
Fresh lemon verbena, vegetable oil.
Lemon verbena powder
Dried lemon verbena, citric acid.
Pommes dauphine
Potatoes, milk, butter, flour, eggs, cod trimmings, salt, rape seed oil, butter, fresh thyme & rosemary, black pepper.
Crispy cod skin
Skin from the cod, vegetable oil to fry, salt.
Raisin & caper gel
Raisins, lily pad capers, agar agar powder.
Seasonal leaves to garnish
On the dish I have used nasturtium petals, wood sorrel, calendula petals, samphire & bronze fennel but this may change depending what is in season at the time.
Method
Lemon verbena oil
Heat the oil to 80 degrees and blend with the fresh lemon verbena for 6 mins on the highest setting to break down the nutrients. Pour into a muslin cloth hanging over a bowl and leave it to drip until needed.
Pommes dauphine
Evenly salt the cod and vac pack it for 20 minutes, then cook in a water bath for 8 mins. Bake the potatoes in the oven with the skin on. When cooked, cut in half and spoon out the potato. Melt the butter in a pan along with the herbs. Whisk until it goes brown and has a slightly nutty flavour. Pour into a bowl over another bowl of ice & whisk until it re-thickens to a soft butter texture. Make a choux pastry with the eggs, flour, milk, butter & water. Pull the cod apart and fold into the choux mixture along with the potato. Quenelle the mixture and drop straight into the fryer until golden brown.
Raisin & Caper Gel
Put equal amounts of raisins & capers into a pan, add an equal amount of water & bring to a boil for 30 seconds. Blend the mixture and weigh. For every 100g of liquid add 1g of agar agar powder. Bring to the boil back in the pan whisking constantly and then pour into a tray and set in the fridge. Once set blend again for 5 mins and then strain.
Crispy Cod Skin
Lightly salt the skin and leave under a warm light on a tray to help dry. Fry in oil until puffed up.
Sauce
Chop shallots and sweat in a pan with the butter. Add fresh thyme & rosemary along with equal amounts of fresh & fermented kohlrabi and caramelise. Once golden add chicken stock and a splash of cream. Simmer and then remove the herbs before blending and then straining. Put back in a pan and thin with more stock & cream.
Lemon Verbena Powder
Blend dried lemon verbena and then pass through a sieve & add a pinch of citric acid.
Rolled Cod
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan to medium/high temperature, colour the cod on one side until a golden crust has formed. Add butter, flip the cod and add lemon juice to prevent the butter burning. Baste in the foaming butter for one minute.
Plating
As the cod is colouring begin to plate: Dress the cod skin with the raisin & caper gel, lemon verbena powder and seasonal garnish and set aside. Take the pommes dauphine out of the fryer, make a slit in the bottom, pipe the brown butter in and place on the plate. Balance the cod skin on top. Remove the cod from the pan, brush it with butter and sprinkle with lemon verbena powder. Pipe with raisin & caper gel and dress with discs of fermented kohlrabi & samphire. Put the sauce in a jug, add two teaspoons of the lemon verbena oil and let it sit for at least a minute before swirling to split the sauce and then pour onto the plate to finish.
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