Sherry Cures All

I've been slightly obsessed with the idea of vodka-cured trout since catching a glimpse of the Pink Salt menu on series 2 of 'My Restaurant Rules' back in 2005. Living in the western suburbs of Sydney makes it fairly challenging to find anything other than cooked prawns, mushy barramundi and frozen kangaroo tail at the local fish market so I never quite got around to even considering it until recently. Of course, ideas seem to slowly morph whilst stewing in my subconscious over time and this was no different. Vodka-cured trout became trout cured in La Goya Manzanilla sherry with vanilla and star anise. When I first tasted it I thought to myself "Oh God! What monstrosity have I created?!" and promptly threw it back into the fridge. Twelve hours or so later the flavours had mellowed nicely and it was surprisingly delectable.

­

La Goya-Cured Ocean Trout

150 g ocean trout fillet, skin on
106 g rock salt
40 g cane sugar
1 vanilla pod, split and scraped
3 g star anise, crushed
3 g orange zest
25 g La Goya sherry

Remove any pin bones from fillet with tweezers, set fish aside.

Combine all ingredients and spread 1/3 into a bowl.

Place fish on top (skin side down) and cover with remaining salt mix.

Cure for 24 hours in refrigerator, rinse then pat dry.

Skin fillet then slice thinly.

Serve with a wedge of lemon, horseradish cream and good crusty bread.

­

Don't Look! It's Dressing!

Everyone loves beauty in its natural state, let's not deny it. Sashimi is one very simple way to showcase wonderfully fresh seafood. Tuna, kingfish, salmon and trout are probably the most common here but other species such as carp, mackerel, bass, monkfish, even squid and abalone can also be used. When slicing fish fillets for sashimi place the fillet so that the tail end is facing away from you and the thicker side is closest (this will prevent stretching and tearing of the flesh). Then with a long sharp knife slice pieces about 3mm in thickness against the grain in one movement. This is the very simple sweet, salty, sour dressing which I served alongside the sashimi of Yellowtail Kingfish and Petuna Ocean Trout as first course for Christmas.

Ginger Dressing

8 g cane sugar
6 g water
21 g tamari
20 g brown rice vinegar
10 g lemon juice
16 g green ginger shoots
8 g eschallots

Combine sugar and water in a small pot and caramelise until dark.
Whisk in tamari, vinegar, lemon juice and remove to a small bowl.
Finely slice ginger shoots, brunoise eschallots and throw everything together.
Set aside for an hour or two to let the flavours infuse.

Celebrations For One

Christmas was a lonesome holiday this year. Usually I find myself working for the masses but the restaurant where I work now closes on public holidays. Not to say that it's a bad thing, but while my friends were off mingling with relatives I spent the day trying to avoid mine. Cooped up at home there was really only one way to entertain myself. Fortunately I pre-empted this little problem and had a special order of kingfish and ocean trout delivered to work on Christmas eve. It took me a good couple of days beforehand to figure out what I wanted to do with the fillets and even then I veered a little.
­

Totally Over-The-Top Menu For One

­

Yellowtail Kingfish & Petuna Ocean Trout sashimi

ginger dressing

­

La Goya-cured Ocean Trout

­

Salad of smoked Kingfish

pickled fennel & aioli

­

Pan-fried Ocean Trout

apple-glazed lentils & balsamic

­

Poached Rocklobster

fondant potato & foaming hollandaise

­

Lemony Peach slice

black cherry jelly & homemade yoghurt

­­

Recipes to follow shortly!