Recipe serves 4.
CONFIT OIL
Ingredients
500ml canola oil
5 sticks of lemongrass, use only the lower white portion, crushed.
10 bay leaves
10 kaffir lime leaves
10 sprigs thyme
20 cloves garlic, crushed
50g ginger, sliced
2 tsp ground white pepper
2 tsp ground coriander seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
Add all ingredients, and steep at low heat for 2 hours. The bubbling should be gentle.
Leave to cool, strain and reserve oil. Oil can be kept in the fridge or freezer for up to 3 months.
BRINE SOLUTION
100g salt
100g brown sugar
1 litre water
Dissolve salt and sugar in water, chill the brine.
To speed up the chilling, use 700ml water and 300g ice.
PREPARATION
TROUT
4pcs x 100g trout fillet, deboned, skin off.
Brine trout in salt sugar solution for 45 mins. Leave this in the fridge while brining. Gently rinse off excessive salt in running water. Pat dry trout fillets. Place trout in a shallow tray and fully marinate in confit oil overnight in fridge.
Before cooking bring trout and oil to room temperature. Remove trout from oil and place on baking tray.
Preheat oven to 60 degrees, fan assisted mode. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, brushing trout with the confit every 5 - 10 mins. The trout should not have changed colour, and resulting flesh should be tender and flake easily.
FENNEL CELERY ROOT PUREE
100g celery root
200g fennel
100g butter
50ml chicken stock
4 shallots
Salt and pepper to taste
Mince shallots
Chop celery root and fennel
Sautéed shallots until fragrant.
Steam celery roots, fennel, butter and shallots together for about 15 minutes until tender.
Blend in a blender and add chicken stock slowly to desired purée consistency.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
SQUID INK SAGO CRACKERS
Half cup sago pearls
3 cups water
1 tbsp squid ink
Bring water to a boil. Add sago pearls and cook until the middle white spots in the pearls are minimal, while whisking regularly to prevent the pearls from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Strain and cool the pearls in running water. Allow the pearls to cool and water to drain off.
Pour back into a pot and add squid ink. Mix well. Spread sago pearls thinly over a silicon mat. Dehydrate in an oven or dehydrator at 65 degrees for 18 - 24 hours. Resulting sago should feel dry to the touch.
Heat oil to about 180 degrees. Add a small piece into the oil to test if it puffs up. It should take less than 10 seconds if the oil is hot enough. Fry in batches and do not attempt to fry a big piece at anytime as it can expand up to 4 or 5 times its original size!
Season with a blend of salt, smoked paprika, chilli powder or any flavoured spices.
Watch this video recipe on Singapore Home Cooks Youtube channel.