Brent Savage's river trout with cucumber, purslane and almond

Method

1. In a small saucepan, bring all the ingredients to the boil and allow to simmer on a medium heat for around 10 minutes. Allow to cool, store in refrigerator ready to use.
2. Remove all scales from the river trout. Fillet the trout and set the bones aside. Pin bone the trout fillets, place them onto a stone or steel plate and blow torch the skin side of the trout until it is evenly dark coloured, drizzle a little bit of glaze onto the trout skin and continue to blow torch for 20 seconds. Place the trout into a warm bowl ready to serve.

Trout Stock

1. Using the bones from the trout, cure in the salt and sugar for 1 hour. Using a steamer, place smoking chips in bottom half, and the trout bones in the top steaming chamber. Turn stove to high heat. Place steamer on stove, and wait until smoke starts to appear. Once the steamer starts smoking, take off heat and wait until all smoke has evaporated (approximately 8 minutes).
2. In a small medium sized saucepan, cover the bones with water and bring to the boil, strain and discard the liquid. Cover bones with water again and cook stock for 1.5 hours on low heat and skim as needed. Strain the stock and reduce it by half. Allow to cool, ready to use. 

Fermented Apple Juice

1. Peel and remove the cores of the apple. Weigh the apple and then add the 1% of weight as salt. Seal the apple and salt in vacuum bag. Store the apples for 5 hours at 36ºC.
2. Blend the apple in an upright blender for 1 minute and then strain the juice through a fine sieve. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Using the smoked trout stock and fermented apple juice, make a balanced sauce to be served at room temperature.

Almond purée

1. In an upright blender combine almonds, bread, oils, vinegar and garlic and blend to a smooth paste. Add water and lemon juice, continue to blend until silky smooth and season to taste at this point. Set aside for 1 hour then pass through a fine sieve. Set aside, ready to serve.

Pickled green apple

1. Peel apple and mix with salt, sugar and lemon zest. Allow to cure for 1 hour.

Kombu oil

1. Place oil and Kombu in a vacuum sealed bag and cook at 80ºC for 90 minutes. Allow to cool, then strain the oil through a fine sieve and keep chilled.

Garnish

1. Place river trout on the bottom of plate or shallow dish. Randomly place 5 dots of almond puree along the trout. Pour the trout stock and apple sauce on the plate so it pools in the middle. Place the grilled shallot on top of the fish. Dress fish with finely shaved cucumber strips (curled), purslane, chopped pickled green apple. Drizzle over the kombu oil and serve.