Dashi-Poached Halibut with Charred...Dashi-Poached Halibut with Charred Romanesco and Lemongrass-Kombu Broth

An exquisite, restorative composition featuring line-caught wild halibut gently poached at low temperature in an aromatic dashi, complemented by blistered romanesco, crisp sea samphire, and an ethereal lemongrass-infused green tea broth.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the aromatic master broth: Submerge kombu, dried shiitake, bruised lemongrass, and ginger in 600ml cold filtered water. Slowly bring to 60°C (140°F) over medium-low heat. Hold at this temperature for 20 minutes to extract deep umami without bitterness, then strain through an ultra-fine chinois.

2. 02

   Season the strained infusion with shiro shoyu and fresh yuzu juice. Reserve 250ml for the finishing broth in a small warm saucepan, keeping the rest in a wide shallow pan for poaching.

3. 03

   Char the brassicas: Heat a dry cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Add the dry romanesco florets cut-side down, blistering quickly for 2 minutes to achieve deep char marks while preserving a vibrant, crisp interior. Set aside.

4. 04

   Poach the fish: Bring the wide pan of broth to precisely 62°C (144°F). Lightly season the halibut portions with sea salt and submerge them into the broth. Poach gently for 8–10 minutes until the core reaches 48°C (118°F) and the flakes separate effortlessly under gentle touch.

5. 05

   Warm the vegetables: In the final minute of poaching, flash-submerge the samphire and charred romanesco directly into the poaching broth to gently heat through.

6. 06

   Assemble and plate: Rest one halibut loin in the center of two shallow warmed ceramic bowls. Artfully arrange charred romanesco and tender samphire around the fish. Ladle 100ml of the reserved hot lemongrass-kombu broth into the base of each bowl.

7. 07

   Finish: Dot the surface of the broth with drops of cold-pressed perilla oil and crown the halibut with glistening finger lime pearls for bursts of acidity.