Gently Steamed Wild Cod...Gently Steamed Wild Cod in Gyokuro-Shiitake Consommé with Charred Kohlrabi & Sea Herbs

A restorative, micronutrient-dense composition featuring pristine wild cod delicately steamed over aromatic cedar, bathed in an antioxidant-rich Gyokuro green tea and shiitake broth, accented with crispy compressed kohlrabi and mineral-rich sea succulents.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the botanical stock: In a small saucepan, combine 650ml filtered water with kombu and dried shiitake. Slowly bring to 60°C (140°F) over low heat for 20 minutes to draw out pure glutamates. Remove from heat, lift out kombu, cool slightly to 50°C (122°F), add Gyokuro tea leaves, and steep gently for exactly 3 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh chinois lined with double cheesecloth.

2. 02

   Season the dashi: Whisk the strained clear broth with ginger juice, yuzu juice, and low-sodium tamari. Keep warm at 65°C (149°F); do not boil to protect the tea's polyphenols and subtle floral notes.

3. 03

   Prepare the kohlrabi textures: Using a mandoline, slice half of the kohlrabi into paper-thin ribbons and roll tightly into rosettes; lightly brush with a droplet of cold-pressed sesame oil. Cut the remaining kohlrabi into uniform 5mm batons and quickly blister them in a dry, smoking-hot cast-iron skillet for 45 seconds to add a delicate char.

4. 04

   Steam the fish: Lightly season the cod portions with a pinch of sea salt. Place in a parchment-lined bamboo steamer set over gently simmering water. Steam covered at 85°C–90°C for 6 to 8 minutes until the internal temperature registers 48°C (118°F) and the flakes separate effortlessly.

5. 05

   Plating: Place a gently steamed cod portion in the center of four shallow warmed ceramic bowls. Artfully arrange charred kohlrabi batons, kohlrabi rosettes, radish ribbons, and fresh sea purslane around each fillet.

6. 06

   Final presentation: At tableside, pour 100ml of the hot Gyokuro-shiitake consommé around the base of each dish, releasing fragrant steam, and finish each fillet with a drop of sesame oil and Maldon salt.