Blackened miso coral trout

Inspired by Nobu’s miso cod, chef Spencer Patrick cooks us his signature dish using local produce from Port Douglas, and line caught coral trout.

• serves

  4

• prep

  12 hours

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Marinade

• 7 tbsp white miso
• 6 tbsp caster sugar
• 150 ml sake
• 150 ml Chinese Shaoxing cooking wine

 

• 4 x 250 g coral trout portions skinned, deboned

Rice and funghi

• 100 g wild rice
• 50 g unsalted butter
• sea salt
• 100 g dried black funghi

Crumbed oysters

• 2 eggs, whisked
• splash of milk
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 8 fresh oysters, shucked
• ½ cup plain flour

Finger lime beurre blanc

• 2 French shallots, sliced
• 100 g ginger, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 200 ml sake
• 50 ml thickened cream
• 150 ml unsalted butter, chilled
• 1 kaffir lime leaf
• 1 finger lime, halved

Drink House of Arras Blanc de Blancs 2001, Tas

Instructions

To make the marinade, place all the ingredients into a saucepan. Cook over a low heat for 5 minutes and allow to cool. Immerse the coral trout fillets in the marinade and refrigerate in sealed bag in the fridge for 12 hours.

To make the rice and funghi, place the wild rice into a saucepan. Cover with water and cook until tender. Strain, stir in half the butter and season with salt.

Rehydrate the funghi by covering with hot water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Squeeze dry. In a fry pan, gently sauté the funghi in the remaining butter. Season with sea salt.

To make the crumbed oysters, whisk the eggs and milk. Mix the breadcrumbs and black sesame seeds together. Coat the oysters in the flour, egg and breadcrumb mix. Deep-fry for 30 seconds or until golden.

To make the finger lime buerre blanc, slowly sweat off the shallots, ginger and garlic in a little oil. Do not allow to colour. Add the sake and bring to the boil. Reduce to 50 ml and add the cream. Whisk in the cold unsalted butter slowly to form an emulsion. Add the bruised kaffir lime leaf and scrape in the jewels from the finger lime.

Remove the fish from the marinade. In a small pan, gently reduce the leftover marinade by half to make your miso concentrate.

Heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat with a little peanut oil. Scrape most of the marinade off the fillets and add to pan. Cook until caramelised and blackened on all four sides.

Serve the blackened cod with the wild rice, black fungi, crumbed oysters and miso concentrate. Dress with the finger lime beurre blanc. Garnish with shiso leaves and sliced radish.

Note

• Wine suggestion: "This is one of those occasions when you can really match the luxury on the plate with something similar in the glass. Sparkling wine is such a great partner for intense, yet elegant, seafood dishes like this. To match the understated richness of the fish, the mushroom and the oyster, I’ve gone for a decadent sparkling chardonnay from one of Australia’s very top producers. The combination of 100 per cent Tasmanian chardonnay and extended ageing on yeast lees (hence the vintage!) adds layers of savoury complexity and opulence. The dish certainly deserves such extravagance, but do your guests? This is special occasion time." - Dan Coward

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.