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–+ servings
Servings: 2 people

Wolffish sous vide

Here is a recipe for my first attempt with wolffish in the water bath, and I am sure it won’t be the last time.
Author: Per Asmussen
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Danish
Keyword: Catfish, Dinner, Fish, jerusalem artichokes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale
  • Deciliter Measure
  • Cutting Board
  • Pre-Slicing Knife
  • Sous Vide
  • Potato Peeler
  • Chef'S Knife
  • Bowl
  • Pot
  • Blender (Option 1)
  • Immersion Hand Blender (Option 2)
  • Deep fryer
  • Mandoline Slicer
  • Frying Pan

Ingredients

  • 400 gram Catfish Fillet

Pure

  • 350 gram Jerusalem Artichokes
  • 150 gram Celery
  • 150 gram Cream approximately
  • 300 gram Whole Milk approximately
  • 10 gram Butter
  • Salt and Pepper

Sides

  • 150 gram Jerusalem Artichokes
  • Salt
  • 250 gram Kale
  • 10 gram Butter
  • Salt and Pepper

Kale

  • 200 gram Kale
  • Salt for boiling
  • Butter
  • Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Wolffish sous vide

  • Start by removing the bones unless you were as lucky as I was when my local fishmonger did it for me.
  • When I cook fish in general, I always begin with a gourmet salting, where coarse salt is sprinkled on both sides of the fish. Then I let it sit for 10 minutes and rinse off the salt with cold water directly under the tap. The salting helps to draw a little moisture out of the fish and make the flesh firmer. I also generally find it difficult to season fish with salt, so this method kills two birds with one stone.
  • Divide the fillet into 2 pieces.
  • Dry the meat well with a clean tea towel/kitchen paper and vacuum seal it.
  • Cook the meat for 30 minutes at 51 degrees Celsius (124 degrees Fahrenheit).
  • Take the pieces of fish out of the bag (very carefully, as they are very fragile) and place them on a clean tea towel/kitchen paper. Pat dry on the top if necessary and serve immediately - preferably on a warmed plate.

Puré

  • Peel the Jerusalem artichokes and cut them into smaller pieces. Put them in a bowl with cold water and a little lemon juice until you are ready to cook them.
  • I spontaneously decided to use some of my Jerusalem artichokes for chips, so I felt I lacked a bit for the purée. That's why I cut 1/3 of a celeriac into small pieces and added them to the purée. Put the Jerusalem artichokes and celeriac in a pot with whole milk and cream. I typically use either 1/3 water, 1/3 whole milk, 1/3 cream or 1/3 cream, 2/3 whole milk to cook them tender. This time, I used the latter.
  • Cook them until tender, which takes about 15-20 minutes, depending on how small the pieces are. Stir the pot regularly, so it doesn't burn.
  • Once they are tender, remove all the pieces from the milk/cream mixture and put them into a blender or a hand blender glass. It's okay if a little liquid comes along.
  • Blend the mixture smooth and add butter and blend again. Gradually add 1/3 dl of the milk/cream mixture if you think it’s too thick. Continue until it has a nice consistency and season with salt and pepper.
  • Put it in a new pot and keep it warm if you are not ready to eat.

Jerusalem Artichoke Chips

  • Heat your deep fryer to 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) or put neutral-flavored oil in a pot and heat it up. Keep an eye on the oil temperature; it should be 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit).
  • Slice them thinly, preferably on a mandolin (watch your fingers, speaking from bitter experience - that's why I always use a cutting glove nowadays). Avoid using the ends if you like; put them in the purée pot to avoid food waste.
  • Place them in water with lemon juice until you (and the oil) are ready. Dry them well before frying.
  • Put them in the hot oil. A trick is to take them out when they stop sizzling because they shouldn’t take on color. Place them on oil-absorbing paper and season with salt. When they cool down, they become crispy. Be careful not to put too many in at once as it significantly lowers the temperature.

Kale

  • Rinse the leaves and tear them from the stems.
  • Bring salted water to a boil and cook the kale for 2 minutes.
  • After the two minutes, remove them from the pot and place them in ice-cold water to stop the cooking process.
  • Take them out of the water and place them in a clean tea towel to dry well.
  • Heat a pan over medium-high heat (11 out of 14 on my stove) and melt the butter. Add the kale to the pan and give it 1-2 minutes to get a little warm and absorb some flavor. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
  • Serve everything together and ideally with something pickled, such as pickled Jerusalem artichokes.