Ayu, Yamazeri and Silver Herring - Chef Recipe by Lanshu Chen

Ingredients

5 ayu (sweet fish), opened from belly and deboned

Ayu Mousse:

100g ayu fillet, bones and head reserved
Oil as needed
Salt to taste
20g egg whites
10g pork fat
10g ice cubes

Sake Gel:

100mL water
2g agar agar powder
3 Tbs sake

Miso Cream:

10g egg yolk
3 Tbs grapeseed oil
5 tsp Argan oil
Salt to taste
1 tsp lemon juice
35g white miso paste

Fish Fumet:

100g ayu (sweet fish) bones
10g kombu
300mL (1 1/4 cups) cold water
30g dried baby silver herrings

Silver Herring Paste:

50g dried baby silver herrings, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes
Oil as needed
50g fish fumet
5g squid ink

Yamazeri Puree:

Water as needed
Salt as needed
200g yamazeri leaves, blanched for 3 seconds, placed immediately into iced water then drained

Garnish:

Pickled onion petals as needed
Baby oyster leaves as needed

Method

For the ayu mousse, preheat oven to 180 C.

Rub ayu bones and head with some oil and salt. Roast until golden brown. Process into a powder.

Whisk egg whites until stiff peaks. Process ayu fillet with pork fat and ice cubes to obtain a fine mousse. Mix in whisked egg whites and ayu bone powder by hand. Season with salt.

Spread ayu mousse onto deboned ayu and roll into a cylinder. Steam at 85 C (185 F) for a few minutes before grilling over a charcoal grill until fragrant. Set aside.

For the sake gel, combine water and agar agar in a bowl. Place 80g of mixture with sake in a food processor. Set aside.

Prepare miso cream. Beat egg yolk, grape seed oil, Argan oil and salt until thickened. Season with lemon juice. Mix with miso paste. Rest for 1 hour before using.

For the fish fumet, bring ayu bones, kombu and cold water to a boil in a large pot. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove kombu and add baby silver herrings. Cook for 30–40 minutes. Strain stock.

For the silver herring paste, drain silver herrings and pat dry with paper towel. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté silver herrings until fragrant and golden brown. Drain excess oil. Combine with fish fumet and squid ink in a food processor to obtain a paste. Set aside.

For the yamazeri purée, bring water to a boil in a large heatproof bowl. Add salt.

Place yamazeri leaves and salted water in a food processor to obtain a smooth purée.

Slice grilled ayu and arrange on serving plates. Drizzle with yamazeri purée, and serve with sake gel and silver herring paste. Garnish as desired.

Credits: Chefs Collective by Michelle Tchea