Halibut Wrapped in Chicken Skin, Squash, Kale and Douglas Fir Salad
- 1 x 600g halibut loin, skinned
- 500g chicken skin, all flesh removed
- Transglutaminase powder
- 1 small Crown Prince or Butternut Squash
- A Small Handful Thyme
- Oil
- Salt
- 200g Douglas Fir Needles
- 200g Sunflower oil
- 100g Douglas Fir Oil
- 150g Apple Juice
- 30g White Wine Vinegar
- Butternut Squash, Roughly Diced
- Kale, Picked
For the Halibut Wrapped in Chicken Skin:
Lay out the chicken skin on a chopping board, making sure each piece has a small overlap. Sprinkle the entire section of skin with transglutaminase powder. Place the halibut loin on top of the chicken skin, next to the edge closest to you and roll it away securing the chicken skin tightly to it as you do so. Once the entire loin has been wrapped, ballotine it tightly with cling film. Place the ballotined halibut loin into a vacuum pack bag and seal at full pressure. Place into a pre-heated water bath set to 50 degrees centigrade for 35 minutes. Remove from the bath and reserve for further cookery.
For the Squash Puree:
Slice the squash in half lengthways and season well with oil and salt. Lay the thyme sprigs on top and place in a preheated 160 degree oven for 90 minutes. Once the squash is well caramelised on the outside and soft all of the way through, remove from the oven. Use a spoon to remove the flesh and blend in a food processer until smooth.
For the Douglas Fir Oil:
Warm the needles and sunflower oil in a saucepan until it reaches 70 degrees. Once the oil has reached temperature, transfer to a food processer and blend at a high speed for at least eight minutes. Leave this mixture to macerate overnight. The next day, pass the oil through bleached muslin cloth.
For the Douglas Fir ‘Vinaigrette’:
To make the vinaigrette, combine the Douglas fir oil, apple juice and white wine vinegar and whisk to loosely combine. Season well with good salt.
To Cook:
Use the hottest part of the BBQ to sear the halibut loin all over. Once the chicken skin is crispy, remove from the BBQ and set aside to rest. Whilst the fish is resting, char the butternut squash and wilt the kale on the BBQ. Carve the halibut into one inch sized medallions and serve with the charred squash, squash puree and kale.
Dress the entire plate with the Douglas Fir dressing. For an extra nice touch, finish the dish with freshly chopped chives and pickled wild garlic capers.
