POACHED HĀPUKU, ARTICHOKES & GARLIC MAYONNAISE

SERVES 6

As an apprentice I would eat out in Sydney’s restaurants as frequently as I could, and whole paycheques at times would be blown on extravagant meals. During that time of exploration, one of the best dishes I tried was a simple poached kingfish with artichokes cooked in sauce barigoule at the wonderful restaurant Bistrode (quite possibly one of my all-time favourite places). Here is my interpretation of that wonderful plate of food.

FOR THE BARIGOULE

1 tablespoon coriander seeds ½ tablespoon fennel seeds ½ tablespoon black peppercorns 1 fresh bay leaf

4 thyme sprigs 300ml extra virgin olive oil ½ onion, finely sliced

½ carrot, finely sliced

½ celery heart stalk, finely sliced ½ garlic bulb

500ml dry white wine 500ml water

1kg Jerusalem artichokes, halved

FOR THE GARLIC MAYONNAISE 2 egg yolks

½ tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar fine salt

250ml grapeseed oil juice of ½ lemon

3 garlic cloves, finely grated

6 x 180g hāpuku, bass, grouper or bar cod fillets, skin on and pin-boned

TO SERVE (OPTIONAL)

½ bunch each French tarragon, flat-leafed (Italian) parsley and chervil, leaves picked 3 sorrel leaves, sliced

½ bunch dill, sprigs picked

For the barigoule, tie the spices and herbs together in a muslin cloth (cheesecloth) to make a bouquet garni. Heat the olive oil in a large, wide-based saucepan and cook the onion, carrot, celery and garlic for 7 minutes until tender, without colouring. Add the wine and bouquet garni and bring to the boil. Add the water and return to the boil, then set aside.

For the mayonnaise, rest a bowl on a tea towel draped over a saucepan to stabilise it. Add the egg yolks, mustard, vinegar and salt to the bowl and whisk to combine well. Continue whisking, slowly drizzling in the grapeseed oil to form a thick emulsion. Taste and add extra salt, the lemon juice and garlic to taste. It should be the thickness of softly whipped cream, so adjust with a little warm water if necessary. Set aside.

Place 500ml of the barigoule liquid and the cooked vegetables in a large saucepan and set aside. Place the remaining barigoule liquid in a large, heavy-based lidded pan and bring to the boil. Add the artichokes and cook until tender, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the fish, cover and set aside for 7–8 minutes until the flesh is just opaque. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the fish to a plate and gently peel away the skin.

Combine the tarragon, parsley, chervil, sorrel and dill, if using, and set aside.

Bring the reserved 500ml barigoule liquid and all the vegetables, including the artichokes, to a simmer and spoon over the fish. Add a generous tablespoon of the mayonnaise and serve with the reserved herbs.