Compression of Avocado, Kingfish, Yellowfin Tuna and Ocean Trout with Spiced Pork Scratchings, Cured Guanciale, Pickled Radishes, and Yuzu Mayonnaise

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Serves: 10
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Compression with Dashi Jelly
4 Shepard avocados (peeled and de-seeded)
400g yellowfin tuna (sashimi grade)
400g kingfish
400g ocean trout
30g kombu
20g katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
4 leaves gelatine (titanium strength and bloomed in iced water)
500ml water

Spiced Pork Scratchings
500g pork skin
100g Maldon salt
1 cinnamon stick
2 garlic cloves
2 rosemary sprigs (dried)
1 bay leaf (dried)
2 star anise
6 juniper berries
5 white peppercorns
10 coriander seeds
10 Szechuan peppercorns

Cured Pig’s Cheek
1 piece of guanicale (cured pig’s cheek)*

Pickled Radishes
5 red radishes
1 small daikon radish
100ml mirin
100ml rice wine vinegar
30g sugar

Yuzu Mayonnaise
2 tbsp yuzu juice
4 egg yolks
100ml olive oil
200ml grape seed oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 mandarin (zest and juice)
Salt to taste

Avocado Purée
Avocado trimmings from compression
1 tbsp crème fraîche
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt to taste

Micro Herb Salad
1 punnet micro coriander
1 punnet micro shiso
20 pea tendrils

Compression with Dashi Jelly

Thinly slice the avocado cross ways, about 2mm thick. Keep the two tailored ends of the avocado and any trimmings for an avocado puree.
Thinly slice the yellowfin tuna, kingfish and ocean trout into 15cm x 4cm strips about 3mm thick.
For the dashi jelly – place the kombu in a saucepan with the water and leave it to soak for two hours, then bring it to the boil. Just before the water reaches boiling point, remove the kombu. Keep the water boiling for one more minute, then remove from the heat.
Add the bonito flakes and leave to soak for about 15 minutes. Line a sieve with muslin cloth over a bowl and strain the dashi stock through it. Place the bloomed gelatin in the warm dashi stock and mix well.
Take a cling roll and place it horizontal in front of yourself, pull out a layer of cling film on your work bench and fold a layer back on itself, about 50cm in length, so that you have a double layer. Rub it smoothly together with a cloth. Don’t cut the cling film as you will need the roll later to add more cling film as well as providing some weight and traction as you roll the roulade.
Start working about 10cm from the side and 20cm from the end of the cling film; roughly in the middle of your double cling-filmed sheet. Dip each piece of avocado individually in the dashi stock, then layer them horizontally across the cling film, neatly laying one piece slightly on top of the other from tip to end, resembling fish scales, until they reach 15cm in length. Dip the tuna fish in the dashi stock and place it neatly on top of the sliced avocados.
Repeat the sliced avocado process on top of the tuna, making sure to dip each piece in the dashi stock as you go. Repeat this process with the kingfish and then the ocean trout, being sure to end with a neat layer of avocado scales on top.
Fold the tail end of cling film over the stack and tuck it in neatly on the opposite side. Crimp the ends of the cling film in tightly and gently roll the roulade over itself, tucking it in tightly on either side.
Roll the roulade about four or five times, adding extra pressure each time, tightly squeezing the ends. Once rolled, tie the ends tightly against the roulade, the compression should feel firm to the touch. Place the rolled roulade in iced water to set. There should be enough avocado and fish to make 3 – 4 roulades.

Spiced Pork Scratchings

Score the pork skin with the tip of a sharp knife, in a criss-cross fashion, on both sides, scoring at 5mm intervals.
Muddle the dry ingredients in a mortar and pestle and then blend as fine as possible. Season the pork skin and allow to cure for about 2 hours.
Rinse off the salt and pat the pork skin dry. Bake on a sheet of grease proof paper in a hot 220ºC oven for about 20 minutes, until the pork skin has puffed and is golden and crispy.
Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once cold, break up crackling and blitz in a robo coupe to powder and store in an air tight container.

Cured Pig’s Cheek

Thinly slice the guanciale with a very sharp knife or an electric slicer. Place the slices on grease proof paper and gently warm in a low temperature oven, just enough to soften the fat and bring out the flavours.

Pickled Radishes

Place the egg yolks, yuzu juice and mustard in a blender and blend until the eggs begin to thicken.
Slowly add the oils in a thin steady stream until the mixture thickens and becomes an emulsion. Add more oil if needed and season to taste.
Fold in the microplaned zest of mandarin and the juice and store in a small plastic squeeze bottle.

Avocado Purée

Blend all your avocado trimmings with a squeeze of lemon juice, add some salt to taste and a tablespoon of crème fraîche. When the puree is smooth, pass it through a fine sieve and store in a small plastic squeeze bottle.

Micro Herb Salad

Snip micro herbs from punnets with a sharp pair of scissors just before plating in order to keep them at their freshest.

Plating

Keep the roulade wrapped in cling film. Slice off the rounded ends, then slice 3cm thick portions of the roulade; place each portion on a plate, slightly off centre. The roulades are quite delicate, so be gentle in removing the cling film by holding each end and pulling slowly upwards.
Squeeze dots of yuzu mayonnaise and avocado puree attractively and sporadically around and on top of the roulade, perhaps three dots of each, alternating in size. Scatter a few of the strained radish balls randomly on the plate, about five of each.
Place two or three pieces of the warmed cured pig’s cheek on the plate and off the edge of the terrine. Sprinkle some pork salt both on the terrine and a little bit on the plate in a little pile. Garnish the dish with a selection of carefully placed fine fresh herbs.

Note: Guanciale can be purchased through your butcher. If unavailable, you can use a good quality fatty pancetta or cured pork belly instead.

Terry Clark – Persimmon (Peter Rowland Catering), Melbourne.