Charred mackerel, kombu braised daikon, champagne and ginger

Kenneth Culhane

Kenneth Culhane

8th September 2015
Kenneth Culhane

Charred mackerel, kombu braised daikon, champagne and ginger

This dish was created a few months after my trip to Japan with the Roux scholars. It is a tribute to Jean-Georges too and represents the ingenuity of Japanese culture, and how nature is characterised and respected.
I took fresh mackerel, a humble and understated British product, and find that it matches the acidity of the sauce perfectly to create a refreshing and tasty dish.

Ingredients

  • Kombu Braised Daikon:
  • 1 daikon radish
  • ¼ stick of kombu
  • 50g katsuobushi (dried bonito)
  • 100ml soy sauce
  • 50ml sake
  • 500ml water
  • Champagne And Ginger Sauce
  • 50g young ginger
  • 100ml dashi stock
  • 50ml water
  • 100ml champagne
  • 40ml champagne vinegar
  • 2 limes juiced

Method

Kombu Braised Daikon:

Peel the daikon into rounds and then cook gently in the stock made from the rest of the ingredients.

Champagne And Ginger Sauce:

Blend all the ingredients together and pass through muslin cloth.

Char the mackerel over an open flame on a rack, remove from rack and then finish cooking in a pan.

Place the daikon in the middle of a bowl, pour the champagne sauce over this.

Place the mackerel on the daikon

Finish with a spiced chill oil and some nasturtium leaves to garnish.

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