Fillet of Halibut with Bacon Jam by Head Chef David Kinnes of Rufflets, St Andrews

Serves

4

Prep Time

60 mins

Cooking Time

30 mins

Ingredients

• 4 x 140g halibut fillet (skin off) (you can use cod fillet or hake fillet as another option)
• 175g savoy cabbage
• 1 large carrot
• sprig of thyme and rosemary
• 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
• 55g duck fat
• 85g peeled celeriac
• 75ml double cream
• 85g peeled butternut squash
• 150g peeled Maris piper or rooster potatoes
• 125g butter
• handful of smoking chips
• ½ lemon
• knob of butter
• 50ml double cream
• 50ml *red wine jus
• truffle (either fresh or paste)
• seasoning

*available from most supermarkets

For the bacon jam

• 454g smoked back bacon
• 4 chopped garlic cloves
• 1 sliced medium onion
• 45g brown sugar
• splash of tabasco
• 25ml brewed coffee
• 60ml cider vinegar
• 60ml maple syrup
• black pepper
• water

Method

To make the bacon jam

• Dice the bacon and fry in batches until crisp.
• Add garlic and onion and cook until translucent.
• Transfer all the ingredients together, except for the water.
• Simmer for 2 hours, adding ¼ cup of water every 25-30 mins. Keep stirring.
• When ready, cool for 15-20 mins then put in a food processor.
• Pulse for 2-3 seconds in order to leave the texture like jam.

To make the smoked butter

• Place the smoking chips in the bottom of a deep oven tray and place a rack on top.
• Put the butter into a metal container on top of the rack and cover with tin foil.
• Place over gas/electric/ Aga top and allow to smoke for approx. 10 mins (please make sure the windows are open).
• Take off the heat and leave for another 10 mins, allowing the butter to cool, then place in the fridge to set.

To make the vegetables

• Boil the potatoes until soft. Drain and mash then add the smoked butter, along with seasoning to taste.
• Place the smoked mash into a piping bag and place to one side.
• Finely shred the Savoy cabbage and grate the carrot
• Add the duck fat to a deep pan to melt, then add the cabbage and carrot and sweat off for a couple of minutes
• Add the chopped garlic, thyme and rosemary.
• Allow to cook for about another 5 mins on a medium heat, season to taste.
• Place aside and keep warm.
• Place the celeriac in a warm pan with a splash of oil and stir for approx. 2-3 mins.
• Add the double cream and gently cook until the celeriac is soft. Be careful not to reduce the cream as it will split.
• Drain the celeriac and place in a liquidiser, blitz and add the reduced cream as required, season to taste.
• Dice the butternut squash, add to boiling watering and cook, making sure that it still has a bite to it.
• Drain and gently sauté in butter or oil and season to taste.

To cook the halibut

• Place the halibut in a warm non-stick sauté pan and cook on one side for approximately 2-3 mins depending on thickness of fish.
• Turn and cook for the the same time on the other side.
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice, knob of butter and season, basting the halibut with the foaming liquid.
• Reduce the double cream by a half and add the red wine jus
• Add freshly grated truffle and bring to a simmer.
• Bring off the heat and whizz the sauce with a hand blender until it foams.

To serve

• Place the cabbage on a flat plate with the halibut on top and a quenelle of bacon jam on top of the halibut.
• Pipe mash on the side of the plate, adding dots of celeriac purée around the plate.
• Place the butternut squash around the celeriac purée.
• Drizzle truffle foam over halibut.
• Garnish with pea shoots (optional).