Stuck in self-isolation due to COVID-19? Let us bring a touch of fine dining to your home with a series of recipes from our favourite restaurants from around the globe…our COVID-19 Kitchen Quarantine cookbook.
The second in our series of gourmet recipes comes from long-time Auckland favourite, two-hatted The Grove. We recently reviewed The Grove’s latest menu (under the direction of new head chef, Ryan Moore) – click here to read our thoughts (spoiler: we loved it). If that’s not enough to convince you that The Grove is absolutely worth a visit as soon as possible, you can read their glowing Trip Advisor reviews here.
**The Grove’s recipe for Tutukaka John Dory With Smoked Eel, Sweetcorn and Yuzu is fine-dining restaurant level and as such, may require some specialist equipment, ingredients and techniques.**
The Grove at Home during Level 3
The Grove has launched a range of delectable ready-made meals available for pick up or delivery during Level 3. They’ve got options to suit everyone – choose from a three-course meal for two for $100, frozen meals for two for $25 and gourmet sandwiches for $20. Local delivery is $10 or you can pick up from The Grove in St Patrick’s Square. More details at https://www.thegroverestaurant.co.nz.
Dining in at The Grove during Level 3
The Grove remains closed for dine-in at this time. If you would like to support The Grove, why not purchase a voucher for a future visit or make an advance booking?
The Grove offers three dining options: 4 Course – $119 5 Course – $149 5 Course – $165
All tailored menus include a selection of snacks on arrival, sourdough bread, and petit fours. Vegetarian or vegan tasting menus with customised dietary menus are available with prior notice.
Ingredients
YUZU GEL
350ml Yuzu juice
150ml water
10g Agar Agar
40g Sugar
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SWEETCORN PUREE
300g Sweetcorn
1/2 lemon, juiced
100ml olive oil
Salt to taste
0.5g xanthan gum
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PICKLED ENOKI MUSHROOMS
200g Enoki Mushrooms
Canola Oil
25ml Chardonnay vinegar
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JOHN DORY
1 John Dory
Rock salt
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250g Smoked Eel
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BABY CORN
4 baby corn
Butter
Salt
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SWEETCORN SAUCE
100ml fish stock
100ml eel stock
6 corn cobs (to make 200ml of Sweetcorn juice)
300g butter
Salt
Lemon juice
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TO FINISH
A handful of raw sweetcorn kernels
Chives
Borage cress
Instructions
- The day before:
Prep the John Dory into fillets, removing the skin.
Salt the fish fillets for 6 minutes, then wash off.
Leave the fillets uncovered in the fridge overnight. This allows you to get a nice crust on the fish. Keep the John Dory bones and trimmings to make a light stock for the sauce.
- Dice the smoked eel, reserve the bones and trimmings to put into the eel stock.
- To make the fish and eel stocks:
Combine fish bones and trimmings with 2L of water in a saucepan and simmer for one hour. Repeat process with eel bones and trimmings.
- To make the yuzu gel:
Place all ingredients into a saucepan, blend with a hand blender till all ingredients are mixed.
Bring ingredients to a boil and then chill down quickly to set the mix.
Once the mix has set, place into a blender till smooth.
(Optional) Once smooth, place the gel into a vacuum chamber and open vac to take the air out of the gel making it clear.
- To make the sweetcorn puree:
Place the ingredients into a blender and blend until hot.
Season to taste with salt and lemon juice.
- To make the pickled enoki mushrooms:
Prep the enoki mushrooms by taking them off the stalk.
Place a pan on the stove till it's nearly smoking, add a splash of oil to the pan and flash fry the mushrooms.
Add a pinch of flaky salt to the mushrooms to bring out the flavour, then deglaze the pan with the vinegar. Continue to cook for one minute.
- To prepare the baby corn:
Remove the baby corns from their skin, place in a Vac Pac bag with butter and salt. Cook sous vide at 72 degrees for 1 hour. If this is not possible, boil the baby corn for three minutes instead.
Half the corn down the middle, then brush with oil and finish on the bbq.
- To make the sweetcorn sauce:
Juice the corn (to make approx 200ml corn juice), reserving a small portion of raw sweetcorn kernels. Combine the fish stock, eel stock and corn juice in a pot, bringing them to a boil. Dice the butter and add to the pot, until it is half melted and then hand blend till emulsified. Season to taste.
- To Assemble the dish:
Warm the puree. Heat the pickled mushrooms and some raw sweetcorn kernels in a little fish stock. Add the smoked eel and finish with chives. To cook the fish, place a pan on the stove, heating it until hot. Place a portion of the John Dory into the pan, giving it a nice colour and crust on one side. Drop-in knobs of butter and a splash of oil, continuously coating the fish in the foaming butter till it's just cooked. Once cooked, place on top of the sweetcorn puree. Add the baby corn, place some small dots of Yuzu gel onto the fish and garnish with borage cress and the sweetcorn sauce.