Serves 8
Ingredients
Chicken stock
26kg chicken backs and necks
39kg ice cubes
227g diced leeks, white part only
113g diced celery
113g diced celery root
113g sliced shallots
113g diced fennel
5 white peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
Dried citrus
2 pink grapefruits
2 navel oranges
2 blood oranges
2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
Citrus beurre blanc
470ml grapefruit juice
235ml orange juice
354ml lemon juice
5.2kg cold butter, cubed
1½ tsp salt
Edamame
450g shelled edamame
1 tbsp chicken stock
1 tbsp butter
½ tsp salt
Pickled daikon
227g white balsamic vinegar
57g sugar
2oz salt
1 jumbo daikon radish, about 3 inches in diameter
Daikon vinaigrette
354ml cups chicken stock
118ml daikon pickling liquid (from pickled daikon recipe)
1½ tsp honey
236ml canola oil
0.3g xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Poached john dory
1.8l chicken stock
5 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
5 sprigs thyme
1½ tbsp plus 1 ½ teaspoons salt
113g cornstarch
8 john dory fillets
To finish
4 spring onions
Fleur de sel
32 sprigs petite spanish tarragon
4 tsp olio nuovo
Method
Chicken stock
Rinse the bones well under running water for 5 minutes. Place the bones in a 22l stockpot, top with the ice and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Skim all of the impurities and fats off the top as it simmers. After the stock is skimmed, add the leeks, celery, celery root, shallots and fennel. Make a sachet by wrapping the peppercorns, bay leaf and thyme in a piece of cheesecloth. Add the sachet to the stock. Simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours, skimming every 30 minutes. Strain and chill over ice.
Dried citrus
Preheat the oven to 80c. Cut off the top and bottom of the citrus fruits. Remove the rind, along with any white pith. With a paring knife, cut between the membranes to yield individual segments of fruit. Line up the segments on an acetate-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with the confectioners’ sugar. Place in the oven overnight to dehydrate. Cool to room temperature. Trim the citrus into 1.3cm pieces and store in an airtight container.
Citrus beurre blanc
Combine the juices in a medium straight-sided saucepan and reduce to 2 cups over high heat. Lower the heat to medium and whisk in the cubed butter, little by little, until all the butter is fully emulsified. Remove from the heat and season with the salt. Keep warm until ready to use.
Edamame
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the edamame and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of iced water, and once cold, drain. Gently peel the outer membrane off of the edamame. Heat the edamame and chicken stock in a large sautée pan over medium-high heat. Once warmed through, add the butter and reduce to glaze, about 1 minute. Season with the salt.
Pickled daikon
Make a pickling liquid by heating the vinegar with the sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Thinly slice the daikon on a japanese mandoline and cut the slices with a ring cutter that is 4.5cm in diameter. Place the daikon slices and 3tbsp of the pickling liquid in a sousvide bag, making sure that the slices do not overlap. Vacuum-seal. Alternatively, bring the pickling liquid to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Place the daikon slices in a large bowl and pour the hot liquid over them. Cool to room temperature.
Daikon vinaigrette
Combine the chicken stock, daikon pickling liquid and honey in a small saucepan and reduce by half over medium heat. Chill over ice. With a hand blender, slowly emulsify the canola oil into the reduction and gradually sprinkle in the xanthan gum. The vinaigrette should be white and slightly thickened. Season with the salt and cayenne and store in a squeeze bottle at room temperature until ready to use.
Poached john dory
Preheat the oven to 150c. To make the poaching liquid, combine the chicken stock, garlic and thyme in a large pot and bring to a rolling boil. Season with the 1½ tbsp salt. In a mixing bowl, whisk together ½ cup water and the cornstarch. When the chicken stock is at a full boil, whisk in the cornstarch mixture and boil for 3 minutes to cook out the starch. Strain into a deep baking dish and allow to cool to 60c. Place the baking dish in the oven to keep the poaching liquid warm. Season the john dory on both sides with the remaining 1½ tsp salt. Place the fillets in the poaching liquid and poach until the fish can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife, 6-7 minutes. Using a fish spatula, remove the fillets from the poaching liquid and drain them on paper towels. Rest the fish for 1 minute.
To finish
Trim off the green tops of the spring onions so that 7cm remain on the bottom. Shave the spring onions on a japanese mandoline, starting with the root end, about 15mm thick. Reserve the spring onion shaves in ice water until ready to serve. Spoon 2 tbsp of the citrus beurre blanc on top of each john dory fillet to coat evenly. Season with fleur de sel. Place the glazed poached john dory in the centre of a plate. Arrange 6 daikon pickles and 2tbsp edamame on and around the fish. Garnish with 2 spring onion shaves, 4 petite spanish tarragon sprigs and 1 tbsp dried citrus. Finish with 1tsp the daikon vinaigrette and ½tsp olio nuovo.
Photography by Francesco Tonelli