Description
Confit [kon-fee] is a method of slow cooking food in oil or fat. This method can be applied to almost anything including meats, fish and vegetables.
Ingredients
Curing Mix
3 Tbsp (45 ml) kosher salt
1 Tbsp (15 ml) sugar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) chopped fennel
1 tsp (5 ml) ginger grated
½ tsp (2.5 ml) black pepper corns, crushed
½ tsp (2.5 ml) fennel seeds, toasted and crushed
1 carrot, grated
1 stick celery, grated
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 lime
Trout
8 x 50 g trout pieces, skinned and pin bones removed
olive oil for poaching
Beetroot Salad Dressing
¼ tsp (5 ml) fine orange zest
¼ C (60 ml) orange juice
½ Tbsp (7.5 ml) rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) pine nuts, toasted
½ Tbsp (7.5 ml) sugar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
Maldon salt and crushed black pepper
Beetroot
1 raw medium sized beetroot, thinly sliced
5 assorted red, candy and yellow baby beetroot
To Serve
beetroot shoots
8 baby spinach leaves
100 ml Buffalo milk fromage blanc
lemon juice
1 tsp (5 ml) chives, chopped
Num Num Compote
100 g num num fruit (ripe)
2 tsp (10 ml) lemon juice
2 tsp (10 ml) orange juice
1 Tbsp (15 ml) sugar
¼ vanilla pod seeds
Instructions
Confit Trout
For the curing mixture combine all of the ingredients together. Coat the trout in the cure mixture for 1 hour only. Over-curing can result in the fish being too salty.
Heat the oil in a pan or tray with oil to 45 °C, submerge the fish in the oil and cook at 45 °C for about 8-10 minutes.
Remove the fish and place on paper towel, squeeze fresh lemon over the fish and sprinkle with chives.
Beetroot Salad
Combine the fine orange zest, orange juice, vinegar, sugar and olive oil.
Season to taste.
Slice 1 raw medium-sized golden beetroot into very thin slices and set aside.
Place a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and boil the 5 whole beetroot until tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Once cooled peel and cut four of the beetroot into rough pieces, cube the fifth beetroot into 10 cm x 10 cm pieces.
Dress with the prepared dressing and season to taste.
Num Num Compote
Place the num num fruit, sugar, vanilla, lemon, orange juice in a small saucepan and bring up to a medium heat. As it starts to boil remove it from the heat, reduce the heat and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes. Allow to cool before plating.
To Serve
Lay rounds of the sliced beetroot on the plate. Top with pieces of confit trout, cubed beetroot and num num compote. Garnish with beetroot shoots, spinach leaves and fromage blanc.
