Steamed Catfish with Chervil Turnips and Mushroom Foam
- Fish
- main-course
During the winter season, turnips take centre stage in the kitchen. The chervil turnip may be small, but it's powerful and comes with the taste of chestnuts.
Method
- Preparation time: 160 min
- 4 Portions
Wash the chervil roots and peel them with a small knife. Heat poppy seed oil (or clarified butter) in a small, tall pot to around 70-80°C (160-175°F). Add the spices and poppy seeds. Confit the chervil roots in the spiced oil/lard for about 1 hour. The roots should be slightly firm on the outside and creamy-soft inside.
Variation: For chervil root lard, sauté 2-3 garlic cloves with the chervil roots in the clarified butter. Fill a screw-top jar with the roots and lard, let it cool, and use it as a spread. Since the chervil roots become very soft, there's no need to puree the lard.
For the mushroom foam, finely chop the onion and garlic. Depending on their size, quarter or coarsely chop the mushrooms. Heat 2 tablespoons of the chervil root spiced oil (or clarified butter) in a pan. Add the onion and garlic. Add the mushrooms and sauté. Pour in beef broth and reduce by one-third. Then, add cream and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Puree with a hand blender and strain through a sieve. Just before serving, foam up with a hand blender.
Tip: For a more stable foam, mix in 1g of soy lecithin before foaming.
Cut the catfish fillet into 4 pieces. Season with salt and coriander and brush with a little olive oil. Steam in a bamboo steamer or steamer insert for 10 minutes over gentle heat.
Arrange the drained chervil roots with the steamed catfish and mushroom foam. Optionally, finely shave fresh mushrooms over the top, e.g., using a truffle slicer.
Drink Recommendation: Lagen-Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris)
Tip: Strain any remaining chervil root spiced oil/lard, cool in a screw-top jar, store in the fridge, and use for confiting or frying meat or fish.
Ingredients
Traditionally, "confit" referred to meat cooked and preserved in rendered fat, such as goose, duck, or pork. Today, "confiting" means cooking any ingredient slowly in oil or fat at a low temperature.