Recipe: Cod au gratin, smoked aioli, turnip with dashi and pil-pil sauce
Before setting off to explore the misty Scottish lands where Laphroaig whisky was born, where fire and water meet, the team at the Parisian restaurant ChoCho has concocted two recipes perfectly suited to the season…
Starting with chef Thomas Chisholm, who alchemizes the smoky and the iodized with a cod loin au gratin with aioli, accompanied by golden ball turnips with dashi, wilted spinach and a high-flying pil-pil sauce, to be enjoyed with the Laphroaig whisky cocktail specially made by mixologist Oreste Scoglietti.
In partnership with Laphroaig.
Schedule
Cod: Fillet the cod (keeping the bones for later in the recipe), season with coarse salt, and let rest for 15 minutes. Plunge the fillets into a bath of ice-cold water and let them soak for 10 minutes to remove excess salt. Once the fillets are thoroughly dried, remove the skin and roll them into bundles. Steam the bundles for 30 minutes at 58°C (136°F).
Smoked Aioli: Place the hay in a saucepan and set it on fire. Extinguish the heat with the sunflower oil and let it infuse for 1 hour. Strain the smoked oil. Blend 25 grams of garlic with approximately 5-6 centiliters of olive oil, add the egg yolks, and whisk in the smoked oil to make the aioli.
Breadcrumbs: Cut the bread into pieces and toast them in the oven at 160°C (325°F) for 20 minutes, then process them in a food processor until you obtain breadcrumbs. Poached Turnips in Dashi: In a saucepan, combine 1.5 liters (6 cups) of water, the kombu, katsuobushi, and celery leaves. Bring to a boil. Let it steep for several hours, then strain the dashi. Peel the turnips and use the dashi to cook them for 10 to 15 minutes. Dice the turnips into approximately 2-centimeter (3/4-inch) cubes.
Spinach: Wash and dry the spinach, then remove the central stem. Sauté the spinach leaves in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil for about 20 minutes. Pil-Pil Sauce: Cut the cod bones into pieces, place them in a saucepan, add the remaining garlic cloves, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover with olive oil, bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Let it rest for 1 hour, strain through a fine-mesh sieve, and then let it rest for 2 hours to allow the olive oil to separate from the fish collagen. Using an immersion blender, blend the olive oil back into the collagen to create a sauce. Season with fine salt if necessary.
Finishing and plating: Brown the piece of cod under a salamander grill (or in the oven) with smoked aioli and breadcrumbs. Arrange the turnips and spinach around the fish, coat the garnish with pil-pil sauce, and add the julienne-cut nori sheet.
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