Raw kingfish with oyster cream, apple and lemon oil

Kieran Scott

This dish has been on the Depot menu since day one, and doesn’t look like it’s leaving anytime soon. It is a take on a plate that I had in Melbourne a while back at one of Andrew McConnell’s restaurants, Golden Fields in St Kilda. I have only met Andrew briefly over the kitchen pass, however I covet much of what he and his team do. I dig their food big time, and the style of restaurants they build and operate. They also have Cumulus Restaurant, which is an all-time favourite and if heading to Melbourne, it’s a must-visit. The combination sounds a little weird but believe me it works a dream and makes for a real change from your regular sashimi deal of soy, wasabi and pickled ginger.

Oyster cream

2 Tbsp	Canola oil
1 cup	Shallot, thinly sliced
⅓ cup	Sweet sherry
12	Oysters, fresh (Main)
2 cups	Cream

To serve

500 g	Kingfish, trimmed
1	Granny Smith apple, cut into matchsticks
¼ cup	Chervil, leaves
2 Tbsp	Fennel seeds, toasted and ground
1 serving	Tart apple syrup
1 dash	Lemon-infused olive oil
1 to serve	Lemon

Directions

1. Place a saucepan on a medium-low heat. Add canola oil and shallots and sweat for 10 minutes without allowing them to colour.
2. Pour in the sherry and reduce until almost evaporated, then follow with the juice from the oyster pottle and the cream. Reduce slowly on a gentle simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and drop oysters into cream, allowing them to plump for 1 minute.
3. Pour into a blender and blitz for 2 minutes until velvety smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl and season to taste. Oyster cream will be thick, but pourable. Refrigerate until required.
4. Using a sharp knife cut your kingfish fillet into cubes. Aim for 6–8 bite sized pieces per person.
5. On cold plates, place 6–8 coin sized blobs of oyster cream. Top each of those with a piece of kingfish. Arrange a couple of sticks of apple on each cube of fish, and some chervil leaves. Sprinkle a little ground fennel seed over the fish, and season with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Finish your plates with a light pour of tart apple syrup, lemon oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. It doesn't need to look perfect, but it's important to get all the flavours in each mouthful.