Seafood Turnover

One night my wife and I had dinner at a Japanese restaurant where we were presented with a tapas of marinated salmon and spicy mayo. It hit all the senses, some good and one in particular not to my liking, as it was too spicy. But the textures were good – the salmon was smooth, and cabbage to give a crunch. I decided to use the same theory to innovate into a snack of my own. The seasoning of the snack will purely come from the crunchy gel. This same technique may be applied to the Konbu Salmon Roll as pictured at the bottom.

Date: 11 June 2007
Title: Seafood Turnover

Filling
Salmon Belly
Mirin
Olive Oil

1. Marinade all together in a vacuum-sealed pack. Submerge into a plastic container with water to a temperature range of 15 – 20 degrees. Leave in a warm box at a controlled temperature of + – 30 degrees for 25mins.
2. Then, remove and submerge into an ice cold bath for 10mins.

Daikon cress
Japanese mayonnaise
Bonito flakes
Togarashi powder

3. Finely chop the daikon cress and fold in with other ingredients.
4. Add to salmon mixture and flake to form a rough mixture.

Turnover Gel
Salmon Stock
Fleur de sel (flower salt)
Gelatin (for flexibility)
Gellan (for firmness and resistance)

1. Bloom the gelatin sheet and leave till ready to add to mixture.
2. Mix in the gellan with the salmon stock and heat up to a temp of + – 90 degrees.
3. Add in the bloomed gelatin sheet and lightly mix till it binds in with the mixture. Pour onto a clean tray. Not to make it too thin as the end result wanted is a thick skin to give texture to the snack.
4. Leave it to slightly set at room temperature first (so as to not disturb the structure when moving the tray). After, leave to set in the fridge (+4 to +5 degrees) for 15 minutes.
5. Using a round pastry cutter (diameter 90), cut out circular shapes.

Assembly
1. Add a spoon of salmon mixture into the center of the gel circle and make a fold. Serve at room temperature (this will be able to experience all the combined taste of the snack).

Alternative: Konbu Salmon Roll

Trilogy of Dover Sole

Date: 19 February 2007
Title: Japanese-influenced Trilogy of Dover Sole

Shallow-fried Dover Sole and Wakame Roll
Dover Sole Fillets : 240gms
Chopped Wakame (marinated seaweed) : 100gms
Chopped Pickled Ginger : 10gms
Brick Pastry : 1 sheet
Black Sesame
Egg Wash

1. Arrange Dover Sole fillets on top of another with chopped wakame and pickled ginger in between.
2. Sprinkle black sesame on pastry coated with egg wash.
3. Roll Dover Sole fillets with pastry.
4. Shallow fry over low heat till golden brown.

Slow-poached Dover Sole with Miso
Dover Sole Fillets : 400gms
* Dashi Stock : 2lit
Miso Paste : 350gms
Shimeiji Mushroom : 200gms
Chopped Shallots : 20gms
Shimichi Togarashi (Japanese chilli powder)
Bonitio Flakes (dried tuna flakes)
Fleur de Sel
1. Using a metal ring with silicon paper, wrap Dover Sole fillets rubbed with Miso Paste to form a ring. Secure with butcher string.
2. Boil dashi stock with miso paste.
3. Place formed sole fillets into a metal container.
4. Pour boiling stock over fillets and cover. Leaving fillets to cook slowly.
5. Saute mushrooms with shallots, season with fleur de sel, chilli powder and bonito flakes.

Baked Sole Fillets with Yuzu Fondant
Dover Sole Fillets : 220gms
* Bechamel : 100gms
Yuzu Lime Juice : 1nos
Yuzu Lime Zest : 1nos
Egg white : 30gms
Kelp Paper : 1sheet

1. Wrap kelp paper around sole fillets to form a container like shape.
2. Whip egg whites till stiff peak, fold in béchamel, yuzu lime juice and zest.
3. Bake at 200c for 2mins.

Garnish
Sweet potato : 240gms
Fine Asparagus : 100gms
Yellow Zucchini : 1nos
* Dashi stock : 2lit
Red Tobiko (flying fish roe)
Squid ink
Micro Cress

1. Cut sweet potato in equal width and cook in dashi stock till soft.
2. Cut out circular shape with a pastry cutter.
3. Trim asparagus tips till 3cm in length.
4. Slice zucchini width side to obtain disc like shapes.
5. Cook asparagus and zucchini discs in dashi stock.

Assembly
1. Design plate with squid ink to obtain desired pattern.
2. Place sweet sole roll on top of the sweet potato.
3. Place poached and baked sole around.
4. Spoon Miso Foam around.
5. Arrange asparagus zucchini discs on plate.
6. Decorate with red tobiko and micro herb cress.

* Dashi Stock
Water : 1litre
Dried Kelp Seaweed (10 cm in length) : 1piece
Bonito Flakes(dried tuna flakes) : 20 gm

1. Bring water with kelp to boil. Leave it to boil rapidly for 10mins to extract flavour from kelp.
2. Add in bonito flakes and turn off heat.
3. Cover and leave to infuse for 15mins.
4. Strain slowly through muslin cloth.
5. Cool immediately in ice bath.

* Bechamel
Milk : 1litre
Unsalted Butter : 60gms
Plain Flour : 90gms

1. Melt Butter and add in flour to form a roux.
2. Add in cold milk to roux and stir till thick.
3. Strain through when hot.
4. Cool down immediately in ice bath.