I've been admiring Chef Andre Chiang's creations for a while although I've never been to his restaurant before. He was featured in Poh's kitchen show last year in September. In the show, he made a potato salad with mustard and dill. I've wanted to try making this dish for a while since I saw the show. It was not until yesterday when I found boomer potatoes in one of my local markets that I immediately thought of making this dish.
Preparing this dish might be a challenge for me as I never made a fine dining dish before. I've also modified the recipe to accommodate with the the availability of ingredients in my local markets. The end result was stunning. I really like the combination of potato confit with the braised mustard seed. The chicken skin powder, quinoa and bread crumbs added extra texture to the dish. All the ingredients on the plate complimented each other really well. Chef Andre is simply a genius.
Recipe adapted and modified from Poh's kitchen
Ingredients:
100g baked mackerel cut into bite sized pieces
( you could use any kind of fish here )
Potato Confit
400g boomer potatoes, washed
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, chilled
3 sprigs lemon thyme
Braised Yellow Mustard Seeds
2 tablespoons beef/veal demi-glace
¼ cup (75g) soaked yellow mustard seeds, soak dried mustard seeds in boiling water for an hour and drain
Chicken Skin ‘soil’
1 tablespoon toasted quinoa
2 tablespoons chicken skin powder*
1 tablespoon toasted breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
Parsley Puree
1 cup parsley leaves, washed and blanched
Pinch sea salt
1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Method:
Potato Confit
Place potatoes in a medium saucepan of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain potatoes, place in a medium bowl and pour over the chilled olive oil, making sure the potatoes are submerged. Allow to stand for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight to allow the flavours to develop.
To serve, place the potatoes into a hot non-stick frying pan, over a medium heat, with the thyme. Cook until potatoes are golden.
Braised Yellow Mustard Seeds
Place beef/veal demi-glace in a small saucepan with the soaked mustard seeds over a low heat, stirring occasionally and season with pepper.
Chicken Skin ‘soil’
Place the quinoa, chicken skin powder, breadcrumbs and chives together in a small bowl, stirring to combine.
*To make chicken skin powder, simply place chicken skin on a roasting tray lined with baking paper. Place in a preheated oven at 200°C (180°C fan-forced) and cook for 15-20 minutes or until fat has rendered down and become crispy. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Place in a food processor and process to a fine powder.
Parsley Puree
Place parsley, salt, half the olive oil and water together in a food processor and process until smooth. Scrape down the sides and slowly add the remaining olive oil.
Add lemon juice to taste and adjust seasoning if required. Place in a small bowl, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Assemble
To assemble the salad, place pan-fried confit potatoes in a medium mixing bowl with the braised mustard seeds, mixing until well coated.
Spread a smear of parsley puree across each serving plate. Evenly divide the potatoes between the four serving plates, and then scatter over some crispy chicken skin ‘soil’ on each plate. Divide the baked mackerel between the four serving plates and finally scatter over some edible flowers before serving.
