Enjoy with Creation Reserve Chardonnay

Yield: 10 portions

Kombu dashi broth

125 g dried kombu

75 g carrots

1 bay leaf

1/4 head garlic, broken apart

750 ml (3 cups) water

37,5 ml (2 ½ tbsp) tamari

Add the kombu, carrots, bay leaf, garlic and water to a medium-sized pot over stove top and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1½ hours. Strain the broth through muslin cloth, add the tamari, and stir well.

Baby fennel

20 baby fennel bulbs, washed and trimmed

kombu dashi broth (see above)

50 ml vegetable oil

Place the fennel and broth in a pot over stove top. Simmer for 45 minutes or until al dente. Remove from the heat and leave the fennel to cool in the broth. For plating, remove the fennel from the broth and slice lengthways in half. Heat the oil in a pan and sear on both sides.

Leek and fennel beurre blanc

100 g leeks, sliced and rinsed (note: save the off-cuts to make *leek dust, see below) large fennel bulb, sliced and rinsed

250 ml (1 cup) Creation Estate Chardonnay

400 g coconut cream

250 ml (1 cup) lemon Juice

2 g pickling onion, sliced

250 g Vegan Flora, cut into small cubes and kept in the fridge.

salt, to taste

In a pot, add all the ingredients except for the Flora and 100ml Chardonnay. Bring to a boil and then simmer over low heat until the vegetables are soft – about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat, then transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the butter slowly, piece by piece while blending at a high speed until all the butter has been incorporated. Lastly, add the remaining 100 ml Chardonnay and season with salt to taste. Set aside.

Fried leeks (note: save the off-cuts to make *leek dust, see below)

100 g leeks, julienned, rinsed and dried

about 1 liter vegetable cooking oil

salt, to taste

Fill a medium-sized pot/saucepan with about 2cm of oil for deep frying. Place it over medium-high heat and bring the oil to a temperature of 180℃. Fry the leeks until crisp and lightly golden, then use a slotted spoon to transfer to a tray lined with paper towel. Season with salt and set aside.

Herb green oil

50g wild garlic leaves

50g Italian parsley

250ml vegetable oil

Place all the ingredients in a power blender and blend until the jug gets warm (or in a Thermomix, aroma setting, 5-7min). Strain the infused oil through a muslin cloth, then discard the solids and keep the oil in an airtight container until ready to use.

Pickled baby marrow

1 cup (250 ml) white wine vinegar

1 cup (250 ml) water

3 tbsp (45 ml) sugar

1 bay leaf

1 tsp (5 ml) black peppercorns

1 big baby marrow, sliced thinly lengthwise on a mandolin

In a pot, heat up all the ingredients, except for the baby marrow. Bring to a boil and take off the heat. Cool the liquid down to room temperature. Add the sliced baby marrow to a large jar, then add the cooled pickling liquid and cover with a lid. Let the flavour develop for a few hours before using, preferably overnight. Store in the fridge.

Plating

*Leek dust

Place the green off-cut leek leaves in the air fryer at 60℃ for 2-3 hours to dry out (or the food dehydrator for 1-2 days). Place the dried leeks into a very dry bar blender and blend to a powder. Use this dust when plating, dusting the sauce with a pinch of dust.

Crispy capers

125 g capers, drained

500 ml (2 cups) cooking oil

Wash the capers under cold running water. Dry the capers as much as possible. Heat the oil in a pot over stove top to a temperature of 180℃ (using a food thermometer). Place the capers in a frying basket and fry for 30 seconds until crispy, stirring with a slotted spoon now and then. Lift out of the oil and transfer to a tray lined with paper towel. Keep warm in a low oven to stay crispy until ready to serve.

Garnish

3 radishes, finely sliced with a mandolin (3 slices per dish)

yuzu pearls

crispy capers (see above)