Recipes

Tempura of smooth oreo, zucchini flowers and lemongrass nage (Serves 4)

	Ingredients: 600-700 g smooth oreo fillets Tempura batter 1 egg yolk 50 mL iced soda water 100 g flour peanut oil, for deep frying   Zucchini flowers 200 g fresh salmon 1 egg 75 mL cream 8 zucchini flowers, zucchini attached   Lemongrass nage 250 mL white wine 250 mL vegetable stock 1 small knob ginger, sliced 1 stick lemongrass 50 mL cream 375 g cold diced butter

Method

Cut smooth oreo into 50-60 g fingers, about 3 fingers per portion of fish.

To make batter, combine the egg and soda water then slowly whisk in the flour until thick enough to coat a spoon. Don’t worry if there are lumps.

To finish, coat the fish in flour and dip in the batter. Place gently in a pan of hot oil or deep fryer and remove as soon as golden. At the same time, poach the flowers in fish stock until mousse is firm or a skewer comes out clean. Finally, heat the sauce, place fish in a stack on a plate with the zucchini flowers on either side and pour sauce around the plate.

Zucchini flowers

Blend the salmon in a food processor with salt and pepper, add egg and blend until smooth. Add the cream and blend until incorporated. Remove stamen from flowers and pipe a generous amount of salmon farce into the flower.

Lemongrass nage

Heat the wine and stock in a saucepan with the ginger and lemongrass and reduce by half (don’t use too much ginger or it will overpower the sauce). Add cream and allow to reboil. Remove from heat and slowly stir in the butter. Allow to infuse a few minutes then strain through a fine sieve. (Prepare this just before use, as it won’t hold for long.)