Ingredients
| 400g fresh fish, sliced (kahawai, trevally or kingfish are great) | |
| 50g toasted walnuts | |
| PICKLED GREEN FIGS | |
| 500g unripe green figs | |
| 375ml water | |
| 375ml white wine vinegar | |
| 75g sugar | |
| 20g salt | |
| 1 bay leaf | |
| 2 star anise | |
| 4 cardamom pods, crushed with the back of a knife | |
| FIG LEAF OIL | |
| 5 fig leaves | |
| 125ml grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil) | |
| sea salt | |
| KEFIR YOGHURT | |
| 500ml kefir yoghurt | |
| a pinch of sea salt |
We have many fig trees at Black Barn and the first fruiting never really ripens so I pick them green and pickle them. When I started working at the bistro, I would pickle them in a sweet pickle base and serve them alongside crème caramel or with a more acidic pickle to accompany cheese or cured meats. This makes more than you need for this recipe, so store in the fridge and use on a cheese board or with charcuterie. In the restaurant we make our own kefir but I have adjusted this recipe to use kefir yoghurt that can be found at the local supermarket.
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Instructions
| 1. | PICKLED GREEN FIGS0 |
| 2. | Use a skewer to prick the figs then place them in a saucepan. |
| 3. | Add a pinch of salt and cover with cold water. |
| 4. | Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. |
| 5. | Drain and run the figs under cold water. |
| 6. | Put the 375ml water, vinegar, sugar, salt, bay leaf and spices in a separate pan. |
| 7. | Bring to a simmer, stirring, and then add the figs and cook gently for 10 minutes until soft. |
| 8. | Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the liquid. |
| 9. | Store in the fridge. |
| 10. | FIG LEAF OIL |
| 11. | Blanch the fig leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds then remove and put straight into iced water. |
| 12. | Squeeze out the excess water from the leaves and then put into a blender with the oil and a little sea salt. |
| 13. | Blend on high, check the seasoning and then strain through a coffee filter. |
| 14. | KEFIR YOGHURT |
| 15. | Put the kefir yoghurt into a sieve lined with a coffee filter, set it over a bowl and leave in the fridge overnight to thicken. |
| 16. | Put the thickened yoghurt into a bowl and season with salt. |
| 17. | TO SERVE |
| 18. | Dice the pickled figs and add a little of the pickling liquid. |
| 19. | Spread the kefir yoghurt on plates and then place the sliced fish around followed by a generous amount of fig oil, pickled figs and walnut. |
Recipes & food styling Regnar Christensen Photography Florence Charvin