Sake Glazed Barramundi, Charred Kelp and Oyster Shell Broth, Crustaceans, Mushrooms and Furikake - Chef Recipe by Michael Lee

Ingredients

4 fillets (180g) barramundi – skin on
24 pippies, clams, oysters (meat reserved from making broth) or mussels
200g mixed mushrooms (such as shimiji, oyster and shiitake)
500mL charred seaweed broth
100g furikake
50mL Japanese sake

Charred kelp and oyster shell broth:

1L filtered water
12 fresh Pacific oysters (meat reserved)
Large knob of ginger
2 star anise
100mL sake
150g mixed seaweed (fresh or dried)

Furikake:

65g white sesame seeds (toasted)
65g black sesame seeds (toasted)
2 sheets nori seaweed (toasted)
15g bonito flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
10mL sake

Method

Make the broth and furikake well in advance.

Charred kelp and oyster shell broth:

Pre-heat oven to 200 C and roast seaweed until toasted and charred. Bring water and other ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, turn off and allow flavours to infuse.

Strain through a fine chinois or cheesecloth.

Check seasoning and broth balance, don’t make it too salty as that will be added later. The broth should be light and fresh flavoured.

Furikake:

Toast sesame seeds in a skillet pan until aromatic.

Toast nori sheets over an open flame, being careful not to burn them.

Combine seaweed, nori, bonito salt, sugar and sake in a food processor.

Tip into a bowl and add toasted sesame seeds.

The addition of the sake will make the furikake a bit wet, but that is fine. Dehydrate at 65 C overnight, or briefly in the oven, being careful not to burn it.

To assemble:

Place a pan on a medium to high heat. Score the skin on the barramundi and season with fine salt. When pan is at temperature, place fish skin side down and cook until you see the edges of the fish become golden (about 4-5 minutes). Then place in the oven and cook at 200 C for about 4-5 minutes.

While the fish is in the oven, bring seaweed and oyster broth to the boil, add clams first and cover for a minute. Tear up the mushrooms and add to the pan, lastly add pippies and oysters. Be careful not to overcook the crustaceans and mushrooms.

Taste the broth and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Remove fish from oven, drain out any excess oil, put back on the heat and deglaze with the sake. Reduce until the sake begins to caramelise, carefully move the fish around in the glaze until the skin is coated, shiny, sticky and chewy.

Arrange in a warm bowl six crustaceans of choice and scatter around the mushrooms. Place the fish on top, pour a generous amount of broth around and finish with a scattering of furikake.

Recipe provided by Season