North Queensland Coral Trout with Stuffed Baby Squid, Celery Oil and Squid Ink Veloute - Chef Recipe by Luca Spagnolo

Ingredients

2 fillets of coral trout
4 banana shallots
1 fennel bulb
2 leeks
350g fish trim
1 celery
1L cream
100g crème fraîche
4 medium squid
1kg Desiree potato
60g sun-dried tomato
4 bunches of chives
2 Tbs capers
20mL extra virgin olive oil
100g butter
50mL yuzu extract
3 yuzu leaves
3 egg yolks
11mL Chardonnay vinegar
3g salt
3 Tbs squid ink
150mL Dry Vermouth

Method

Coral trout:

Make sure there are no remaining bones in the flesh by pin-boning the fillets of coral trout.

Fish skin removed, cut into four neat rectangles weighing 150g each. Put the fish trimmings in a different bowl.

Cleaning the squid first, removing the inside bone, cook the wings and tentacles, pan-frying in olive oil, and setting aside to cool.

Bake the potatoes for an hour in a tray with rock salt. Remove the skin once they have been cooked and put them through a fine drum sieve. Extra virgin olive oil, chopped chives, one diced banana shallot, chopped sundried tomato, chopped capers and cooked squid wings and tentacles should be added to the mashed potato. Season with salt and lemon juice to taste and set the mixture aside.

Blanch the squid in boiling water for 1 minute, refresh into ice water and salt. Proceed by filling the squid with the flavoured mash.

Cut the shallots, fennel, leeks, and celery into small pieces to begin making the squid ink veloute. Then, deglaze the pan with vermouth, add the fish trimmings, cook for an additional five minutes, cover with cream, and simmer until the mixture has reduced by half.

Add the squid ink and adjust with salt and lemon juice after straining through a fine sieve.

Blanch celery leaves in boiling water for 40 seconds, then cool them in ice water to make celery oil. Thoroughly strain the leaves to get rid of all the water.

In a blender, combine celery leaves and canola oil; purée until extremely smooth. Pour through a paper oil filter strainer set over a cold bowl; set aside.

Chive oil:

Combine chives and canola oil in a blender; purée until very smooth.

Pour through a paper oil filter strainer set over a measuring cup and weigh 200 mL; set aside for chive emulsion.

Chive emulsion:

Add 3 egg yolks, Chardonnay vinegar and the salt into a Thermomix at speed 3. Slowly drizzle in chive oil until sauce is emulsified.

Preheat the oven for 220 C.

To fry the Coral trout, heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat and fry the fish skin-side down for 2 to 3 minutes. Then heat through in the oven for a further 2 minutes.

Baste the fish with yuzu leaves, juice and diced butter until you have a nice, emulsified glaze.

For the squid tubes, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over a high heat and fry each squid for 2 minutes. Fry the other side for 2 minutes, then heat through in the oven for a further 2 minutes.

Celery ribbon:

Peel the celery stalk lengthwise into ice water.