Wild halibut, Jerusalem artichoke, N25 caviar

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This pickled Jerusalem artichoke-topped wild halibut dish from Stuart Ralston is a fantastic wintery seafood starter, served at his restaurant Lyla. The wild halibut is stuffed with a scallop mousse and served with a rich sauce vin blanc and creamy crushed Jerusalem artichokes.

First published in 2023

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Scallop mousse and halibut

Jerusalem artichoke pickles

Sauce vin blanc

  • 200g of shallots, diced
  • 250g of button mushrooms
  • 150g of vin jaune
  • 1.5l fish stock
  • 5g of dashi powder
  • 500g of double cream
  • 40g of katsuobushi

Crushed artichokes

  • 1 tsp ascorbic acid
  • 500g of Jerusalem artichoke, peeled and cut into rough chunks
  • cream, for loosening

Garnish

Equipment

  • Chinois
  • Thermomix
  • Vacuum bags
  • Steam oven or steamer

Method

1

Cure the halibut in a 5% salt brine for 30 mins

2

Blend the scallop and egg white for the mousse in a Thermomix until sticky and then slowly pour in the cream. Transfer to the fridge until needed

3

While the fish brines, make the pickles. Warm the water, vinegar and sugar together until the sugar has dissolved, and then pour over the Jerusalem artichoke slices. Set aside to cool and pickle

4

Pat the halibut dry, butterfly the fillet, and then stuff with mousse. Wrap the halibut in cling film, then chill

5

Once chilled, steam at 50°C for 20 minutes, then re-chill and portion into 50g slices. Alternatively, steam on a very low heat in a regular bamboo steamer

6

For the vin blanc sauce, sweat off the shallots and mushrooms in a pan until softened, and then deglaze the pan with vin jaune

7

Add the fish stock and dashi, and then simmer until the broth is reduced by half

  • 1.5l fish stock
  • 5g of dashi powder
8

Add the cream and bring back to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the katsuobushi. Leave to infuse for 30 minutes

  • 500g of double cream
  • 40g of katsuobushi
9

Pass the sauce through a chinois and a muslin cloth

10

Dissolve the ascorbic acid in 1 litre of water. Place the artichokes in a vacuum bag with acidulated water and steam at 100°C in a steam oven until cooked. Alternatively, simply steam the artichokes until soft – although they may get slightly discoloured

11

Strain off the liquid from the artichokes and blend (if using a Thermomix at speed 4–5) until crushed

12

Before serving, place the fish in warm, clarified butter in a 55°C oven until warm

13

Mix some double cream into the Jerusalem artichoke purée, just enough to loosen it, and reduce slightly on the hob

  • cream, for loosening
14

Dust half the artichoke pickles in kelp powder

15

To serve, place the crushed artichoke on the bottom of the bowl, then pour vin jaune sauce on top. Place a piece of halibut on top of this, and then shingle on the pickled artichokes. Finish with N25 caviar just before serving

First published in 2023

Since opening his first Edinburgh restaurant Aizle in 2015, Stuart Ralston has gone on to earn himself a legion of fans both in the Scottish capital and further afield. With four concepts now to his name, each unique in its influence, he has established himself as one of the country’s most ambitious and intriguing culinary talents.

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