Pan-fried fish with asparagus, fennel and ginger foam

Time to whip out that siphon gun from the cupboard with this low-waste fish and asparagus dish from Will Houia! One for the more advanced cooks in the kitchen, this seafood delight uses an unorthodox method for using the frequently discarded woody asparagus stems in a clever custard. Savoury, sweet and fresh with notes of ginger, this one will be sure to have your dinner guests raving!

• serves

  4

• prep

  45 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Series. Cooking. Rated PG.

Stream Now On Demand

The Cook Up with Adam Liaw

series • CookingPG

Ingredients

• Light olive oil, for drizzling
• 4 x 200 g barramundi fillets, skin-on
• 12 g lemon juice
• 5 g roughly chopped mint leaves
• 3 g sea salt flakes

For the custard

• 150 g asparagus stems (around 20 spears)
• 300 g milk
• 100 g thickened cream
• 120 g egg yolks (about 8 eggs)
• 25 g sugar
• 32 g cornflour

For the fennel and ginger foam

• ½ onion, finely chopped
• ½ fennel, finely chopped
• 60 g peeled ginger, finely chopped
• 1 kg thickened cream
• 2 g sea salt flakes

Resting time: 5 minutes

Instructions

1. To make the custard, trim the asparagus and keep the woody ends and tops separate. Combine the woody asparagus stems, milk and cream in the bowl of a food processor or blender and blitz for 20 seconds, until smooth. Use a fine mesh strainer to strain the mixture into a medium saucepan, then bring to just under a boil (around 80˚C), then remove from the heat.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment fitted, combine the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour. Whisk on medium speed for 4-6 minutes, until the mixture forms the ribbon-stage. With the stand mixer on, slowly pour in the hot asparagus milk and cream mixture to the egg, mixing for 20 seconds, or until just combined. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring continuously over medium-high heat to 80˚C, then remove from the heat. Chill immediately until cool, then blitz with a stick mixer until smooth, then refrigerate until chilled.
3. To make the fennel and ginger foam, in a small saucepan, combine the onion, fennel and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the cream and salt. Cook until reduced by a third. Strain with a fine mesh sieve into a siphon gun and keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160˚C. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large heatproof frying pan over high heat and place fish fillets skin-side down, then reduce the heat to medium. Place fish weights on the fillets and cook until the skin is golden and crisp, then place pan in oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the fish registers an internal temperature of 58˚C. Remove and allow the fish to rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
5. While the fish rests, drizzle the asparagus tops with olive oil, then heat a chargrill pan or barbecue over high heat. Grill the asparagus until just charred, then roughly chop and toss lightly with lemon juice, mint and sea salt. To serve, spoon asparagus custard into the centre of serving plates, then top with the dressed asparagus. Use the siphon gun to pipe over a layer of fennel and ginger foam and top with the fish.

Want more from The Cook Up? Stream all the seasons here and for free at SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.