Serves 4
Ingredients
Tartare
2 large mackerel – cleaned, filleted, pinboned and skinned
1 lime
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
Pinch of fleur de sel
Pickled black radish
1 black radish, scrubbed and finely sliced
50g water
50g white wine vinegar
50g white sugar
Cod roe puree
1 smoked cod roe
100g white bread soaked in milk
150-200ml extra virgin olive oil
Juice of quarter of a lemon
White pepper
Smoked eel beignets
1 fresh smoked eel
50g T55 flour
35g cornflour
Juice and zest of half a lime
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp iced water
Fleur de sel
Pickled cucumber
1 cucumber
To finish
2 Breakfast radish – thinly slice on a mandolin, set in iced water
20g English Exmoor caviar (5g per person)
Baby pak choi sprouts
Lemon infused oil
Method
Tartare
Once the mackerel has been skinned, place on a clingfilm lined tray and set in the blast freexer for a few minutes to set. With a sharp knife dice the mackerel into 5mm equal pieces, and when ready to serve dress with the lime zest, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and olive oil to taste, and season with fleur de sel, then fold through the chives.
Pickled black radish
After the radish has been scrubbed, slice very finely on the mandolin or meat slicer at 1mm thickness. Bring the water, white wine vinegar, and sugar to the heat to dissolve, and then leave to cool. Vacuum some of the pickling liquid with the radish slices for 2 hours.
Cod roe puree
Soak the cod roe in warm water to soften, peel off the thin skin and membrane, chop up the roe and add to the blender. Add the bread but keep back the milk, season with a little white pepper and blend to a smooth paste. Then slowly incorporate the olive oil, being careful to keep the emulsion (if it’s getting too thick, then add a little warm milk) and contibue until you have a smooth unctuous puree. Check the seasoning, finish with the lemon juice, pass through a chinois and chill in the fridge.
Smoked eel beignets
Portion the eel into 3cm batons. Mix the egg yolks, flours, most of the lime zest and all the lime juice together, season with fleur de sel, and mix in the iced water to form a batter. Coat the eel in some flour then the batter, and fry on 180degrees, drain and add some lime zest and Fleur de sel.
Pickled cucumber
Peel the cucumber and cut into 4 pieces, vacuum on high and set in the fridge for half a day. When needed take out the vacuum and slice 24 long slices on the mandolin and 24 3cm batons. Place into the same pickling liquid as before for 5 minutes and drain. Roll the slices and set aside.
To finish
Pour two tablespoons of the smoke cod roe puree onto a large flat plate, then spread the puree around a rung. Add 3 discs of radish, then dress the tartare into 3 piles, top with another slice of radish, drop 3 eel beignets between the dics, then top each tartare with a small amount of caviar and sprinkle with pak choi sprouts. Finish the dish with a drizzle of lemon infused oil.
Head to clivedenhouse.co.uk to find out more about Chef Garret and his restaurant.
