On a recent ski trip we had the delight of eating some of the best food we have experienced every single night in the Schöne Aussicht Hotel, Hochsölden in Austria.
The chefs were very clever indeed. Each course (5 courses each night, thank goodness for the skiing to burn it off everyday!) was sublime. Perfectly portioned, seasoned, presented. One of the dishes that intrigued me was arctic char served with a saffron emulsion and fennel that was so infused with flavour I had to ask the kitchen how it was cooked. 5 hours in a water bath at 70deg with aromatics.
So on getting home I tried this fennel number. No I don't have a vacuum pack or water bath. I used a ziplock bag and a crockpot with water. The temp was around 65 degrees, not quite reaching 70 but the result was the same. Utterly delicious. I used fennel seeds, coriander seeds, a touch of salt and sugar and lemon juice. Next time I will soak the fennel in acidulated water first to keep the whiteness of the flesh (I assumed lemon juice would suffice but did not quite keep it as white as I'd hoped). It really is incredible how the flavours are fully absorbed by the fennel making it even more delicious than usual (I love fennel) but the crunch is maintained which is the result achieved in the restaurant too.
The sauce is from my Cinnamon Club cookbook by Vivik Singh who is a spice master. He serves it with duck and previously I have too but I actually think it worked even better with salmon. I roasted some peeled cherry tomatoes for a touch of acid sweetness and made a fresh chutney of coriander and mango flesh. Really a gorgeous dish.
The chefs were very clever indeed. Each course (5 courses each night, thank goodness for the skiing to burn it off everyday!) was sublime. Perfectly portioned, seasoned, presented. One of the dishes that intrigued me was arctic char served with a saffron emulsion and fennel that was so infused with flavour I had to ask the kitchen how it was cooked. 5 hours in a water bath at 70deg with aromatics.
So on getting home I tried this fennel number. No I don't have a vacuum pack or water bath. I used a ziplock bag and a crockpot with water. The temp was around 65 degrees, not quite reaching 70 but the result was the same. Utterly delicious. I used fennel seeds, coriander seeds, a touch of salt and sugar and lemon juice. Next time I will soak the fennel in acidulated water first to keep the whiteness of the flesh (I assumed lemon juice would suffice but did not quite keep it as white as I'd hoped). It really is incredible how the flavours are fully absorbed by the fennel making it even more delicious than usual (I love fennel) but the crunch is maintained which is the result achieved in the restaurant too.
The sauce is from my Cinnamon Club cookbook by Vivik Singh who is a spice master. He serves it with duck and previously I have too but I actually think it worked even better with salmon. I roasted some peeled cherry tomatoes for a touch of acid sweetness and made a fresh chutney of coriander and mango flesh. Really a gorgeous dish.
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