serves
6
prep
50 minutes
cook
25 minutes
difficulty
Mid
serves
6
people
preparation
50
minutes
cooking
25
minutes
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
Soy milk mayonnaise
- 180 ml soy milk
- 500 ml (2 cups) vegetable or canola oil
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- 3 tsp pickled ginger
Miso caramel glaze
- vegetable oil, for drizzling
- ½ bunch spring onions, green ends only
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 80 g shiro miso
- 250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock
- 100 g caster sugar
- 90 g butter
Kumara puree
- 300 g peeled kumara (sweet potato), diced
- 400 ml vegetable stock, approximately
- 50 g butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Pickled daikon
- 250 ml (1 cup) white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) mirin
- 75 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 medium sized daikon
Smoked bonito
- 40 g mesquite wood chips
- 40 g apple wood chips
- 25 g sugar
- 60 ml (¼ cup) mirin
- 700 g bonito, skin on (make sure it has been bled thoroughly), cut into 6 pieces
To serve
- Baby mizuna, micros red shiso, thinly sliced red radish, finely diced green apple and finely diced cucumber
Instructions
To make the mayonnaise, combine the soy milk and lemon juice in a blender for 10 seconds or until the soy milk begins to curdle. With the motor running, gradually add the oil until well combined and emulsified. Once all the oil is added, blend for an extra minute to ensure that all the ingredients are combined. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed.
To make the miso caramel glaze, heat a drizzle of oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook the spring onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add the miso paste and stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Place the sugar and 80 ml (⅓ cup) water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer until the sugar dissolves and starts to caramelise. Gradually whisk in the butter until emulsified, then add to the cooled miso glaze and whisk until well combined.
To make the kumara puree, place the kumara and stock in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Simmer until tender, then remove from the heat, drain and reserve the stock. Place the kumara in a blender and pulse until starting to break down. Add the butter and a few tablespoons of the reserved stock and process until a smooth puree forms. Season to taste, then pass through a fine sieve.
To make the pickled daikon, place all the ingredients except the daikon in a saucepan. Add 200 ml water and bring to the boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Peel the daikon radish, slice into desired shapes and place into the pickling liquid for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
To smoke the bonito, combine the wood chips, sugar and mirin place in a barbecue pit, light the fire, cover and wait until the smoke is thick and billowing. Place the bonito onto the grill in the direct smoke but away from any flaming embers. Cover and smoke for 10-15 minutes or until just cooked, opening the barbecue intermittently to release the heat. Remove from the heat.
Just before serving, place each piece of bonito on a small piece of baking paper and brush liberally with the miso caramel glaze. Place a large frying pan over medium heat and place the fish on the baking paper, into the pan skin-side down and cook on all sides until golden and the skin is crisp. The baking paper will stop the glaze from burning.
To assemble, place one tablespoon of the kumara puree in the centre of each plate and top with a little finely diced apple and cucumber. Top with a piece of bonito, then add small dollops of the mayonnaise and arrange a little pickled daikon around bonito. Scatter with micro mizuna and baby red shiso (remembering that the flavour of these baby herbs is quite delicate so use liberally).
Andrew Madden is Senior support chef at William Blue Dining in The Rocks, Sydney.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
