Soft Poach Fish with Littleneck Miso Clams and Lemon Sushi Rice

(Serves 5)

Ingredients

Lemon Sushi Rice

• 265g sushi rice, washed until clear
• 335ml water
• 45g sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 30ml lemon juice
• 30ml mirin

Clams

• 500ml water
• 5g kombu seaweed, rehydrated and rinsed
• 1kg littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 20g white miso (less salty than red)

Sous Vide Fish

• 1kg white fish – ling, bluenose, blue moki

Garniture

• 250g runner or snake beans, cut and blanched
• 10 spring onions, dark green discarded
• 20 oyster or abalone mushrooms, sauté
• handful bonito shavings
• 3 tsp shichimi togarashi pepper

Method

Soak the rice in the water for about an hour in a saucepan or rice cooker.

Soak the clams in lightly salted water for an hour to remove sand.

If cooking rice in the saucepan, bring to the boil, simmer on the lowest heat, cover with a lid, cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the heat and allow to stand with the lid on for a further 10 minutes.

Meanwhile in a saucepan, add the sugar, salt, lemon juice and mirin.  Bring to the boil and reduce to a syrup.

On a tray, scoop out the rice and fan with a spatula to rid excess heat then fold in the sushi vinegar.  Store at room temperature.

In a saucepan, add the water and kombu, bring to the boil, add the clams and the trimmings from the mushrooms, simmer for 2-3 minutes, remove the clams and strain the liquid.

In a mixing bowl, whisk in the miso.

Fit one air-tight sealable bag inside another, place in a 180g portion, and pour in the miso broth.

Drop the bags into a roasting pan of barely simmering water held at 60oC.  Use a thermometer to regulate this temperature.  As the water rises up to the top of the bag, snap it shut and time the fish for 14 minutes.  Remove the fish to a tray and strain the miso broth.

In heated bowls, place a large spoonful of lemon sushi rice, place the fish on top.

Scatter over the beans, spring onions and mushrooms.

Pour over the miso broth, scatter with bonito shavings and dust with pepper.

John Hawkesby’s wine recommendation

Sauvignon Blanc
Michelle Richardson Marlborough 2010

Chardonnay
Neudorf 2010