Drunken Aquna Murray Cod & Ginger Shallot

 

By Josh Niland

Ingredients 

4 x table ready 200g Aquna Murray Cod Fillets
12 fresh shiitake mushrooms
100 g (31⁄2 oz) oyster mushrooms
100 g (31⁄2 oz) enoki mushrooms
1 teaspoon sesame oil XO sauce (shop-bought)

To Serve
Ginger shallot sauce

50 g (finely grated ginger
6 spring onions, finely sliced
350 ml canola oil
60–70 ml light soy sauce, to taste

White pepper, sesame and sichuan seasoning

1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sichuan peppercorns

Stock

1.25 litres shaoxing wine

90 ml light soy sauce
40 g dried shiitake mushrooms
110 g peeled fresh ginger, sliced into 2–3 mm thick slices
3 green shallots , cut into 5 cm batons
1 tablespoons ground white pepper
2 star anise
1 garlic bulbs, halved
4.25 litres water

 

DRUNKEN AQUNA MURRAY COD & GINGER SHALLOT /// LUNAR NY

Method
To make the ginger spring onion sauce, combine the ginger and spring onion in a small heatproof bowl. Heat the oil in a small saucepan until almost smoking, then immediately pour it over the ginger and spring onion mixture.

You should see and hear it sizzling. (If this isn't happening the oil isn't hot enough, so return it to the heat and try again.)

Season with the soy and mix together well.

Set aside to cool to room temperature. The sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a week, but the flavour will start to lose its punch over time.

For the white pepper, sesame and sichuan seasoning, toast the ingredients individually in a dry frying pan until aromatic, then use a mortar and pestle to grind them together into a powder. Spoon into a small bowl and set aside.

Add all the stock ingredients to a large saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Remove from the heat.

Add the Murray Cod Fillets, cover with a lid and set aside for 10–12 minutes, until the flesh is just opaque and the internal temperature of the fish at its thickest part measures 44°C (111°F) on a probe thermometer.

Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the fish pieces to a clean plate and gently peel away the skin (it should peel off easily if the flesh is cooked). Leave to rest for 3–4 minutes. While the fish is resting, add the mushrooms to the hot stock (still off the heat) and leave for 2 minutes to gently warm through.

Divide the Murray Cod Fillets among serving bowls, top with the tender mushrooms and drizzle over a little sesame oil. Lightly season the fish, then ladle over a little of the stock to finish.

Serve immediately with the ginger spring onion sauce, sichuan seasoning and a small bowl of XO sauce.