Stuffed red mullet with a Parmesan purée, caramelised artichokes and green olive powder

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Daniel Clifford stuffs the red mullet with Spanish ham and the coastal herb sea purslane, before binding the fish with meat glue. Other elements of this stunning dish include a green olive powder, Parmesan purée and caramelised artichokes. This recipe scored a perfect 10 on Great British Menu 2012.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Confit Buddha's hand

  • 100g of sugar
  • 100ml of water
  • 100ml of white wine vinegar
  • 1 Buddha's hand

Dried olives

Red mullet

  • 2 red mullet
  • 16 sprigs of sea purslane
  • 8 slices of Ibérico ham, finely diced
  • 10g of meat glue, transglutaminase enzyme
  • 50g of Sosa Airbag Farina
  • 12 slices of green olive
  • lemon juice
  • sea salt

Sherry jelly

  • 120ml of sherry vinegar
  • 100ml of water
  • 13g of agar agar

Green olive purée

Parmesan purée

Baby artichokes

Beurre noisette

Globe artichoke crisps

To garnish

  • 2 slices of Ibérico ham
  • 2 tbsp of Parmesan, grated
  • 1 handful of sea purslane

Equipment

  • Mandoline
  • Dehydrator
  • Sous vide equipment
  • Squeezy bottle
  • Blender
  • Ice
  • Thermometer

Method

1
2 weeks before you plan to serve the dish begin making the confit Buddha's hand, as it needs time to pickle. Bring the sugar, water and vinegar to the boil and transfer to a clean, sterilised, sealable jar. Finely slice the Buddha's hand on a mandoline or meat slicer and drop into the pickling liquid. Seal the jar and leave for at least 2 weeks
  • 100ml of white wine vinegar
  • 100g of sugar
  • 100ml of water
  • 1 Buddha's hand
2
When you plan to serve, begin by making the dried olives. Preheat a dehydrator to 60°C
3
Cut the four sides away from the olive, cutting around the stone, then dice each piece into six. Dry in the dehydrator for 4 hours, or until dry
4
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
5
Scale and wash the fish well. Fillet, pin bone and wash the fillets and then leave to dry thoroughly in a cloth. Cut along the length of the fillet from the tail to the head to separate the skin, leaving the flesh connected to the skin at the top end
  • 2 red mullet
6
In the opening, running down the blood line, lay the sea purslane, Iberico ham, 4 slices of the confit Buddha's hand and the olive slices, then dust with meat glue and fold the skin back over. Leave to set for up to 2 hours in the fridge
  • 16 sprigs of sea purslane
  • 8 slices of Ibérico ham, finely diced
  • 10g of meat glue, transglutaminase enzyme
  • 12 slices of green olive
7
Prepare your sherry jellies. In a small pan, warm the sherry vinegar and water, then whisk in the agar. Once fully dissolved, pour into a container and refrigerate for 1 hour, until set. Slice the jelly into ribbons, ready to serve
  • 120ml of sherry vinegar
  • 13g of agar agar
  • 100ml of water
8
Next make your green olive purée. Place the olives in a pan and add water until just covered. Bring to the the boil, cook for 8 minutes, then blend with the Gelespessa until you have a smooth purée. Pass through a fine sieve and chill. Season with salt and lemon juice, then place in a squeezy bottle
9
Next prepare the Parmesan purée. Preheat a water bath to 62°C
10
Peel and chop the potatoes and place in a vacuum bag. Cook in the water bath for 1 hour, then refresh in iced water. Finish cooking the potatoes in boiling water until soft. Drain, then place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pass the purée through a fine sieve and season with lemon juice
11
For the baby artichokes, peel and turn the artichokes, crush the garlic and put all the ingredients into a vacuum pack bag. Steam at 100°C for 25–35 minutes, or until tender
12
To prepare the globe artichoke crisps, preheat a pan of olive oil to 160°C
13
Remove the outer layer of the artichoke, leaving just the heart, then remove the furry middle with a spoon. Using a mandoline, finely slice the artichoke 1mm thick. Fry in the olive oil until golden and crisp
14
To cook the fish, place the fillets skin-side down onto the Airbag Farina and cook in a pan until crisp and golden. Finish in the oven, then season the underside of the fillets with lemon juice and sea salt
15
Heat the butter in a pan until it reaches a dark golden brown colour and has a nutty aroma. Garnish the fish with this beurre noisette and a squeeze of lemon juice
16
To serve, spread the Parmesan purée on the plate, carve the fish and place to one side. Place the artichoke crisps and baby artichokes on top of the purée, and add a few dots of the olive purée, a few slices of confit lemon, and a few ribbons of the sherry jelly. Shred the Ibérico ham and scatter across the plate, along with some of the sea purslane. Scatter some Parmesan, and finally, sprinkle the dried olive over the plate
  • 1 handful of sea purslane
  • 2 slices of Ibérico ham
  • 2 tbsp of Parmesan, grated

A broad range of experience in some of the top kitchens in the UK and France along with hefty doses of innovation, dedication and originality have led Daniel Clifford’s style to be widely praised.

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