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Home Recipes From the Show Chilli Salt Squid & Brandade

Chilli Salt Squid & Brandade 09/11/2006

Serves 6

Description:

Chilli salt squid and brandade by Matt Moran.

Ingredients:

12 quail eggs
300g whole squid, cleaned
Peanut oil, for deep frying
Rocket, black olives and chilli oil to serve.
Brandade:
100g table salt
2 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 rosemary sprigs
3 cloves garlic, chopped
250 g blue-eyed trevalla fillet, skin removed and pin-boned
250 ml milk
250 mil cream
3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan
2 tablespoons strained lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons truffle oil
200g mashed potato
Salt and pepper
Chilli salt
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons chilli powder
180g tempura flour
3 teaspoons fine salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Method:

To make the Brandade:
Combine salt, thyme, bay leaves, rosemary and garlic in a bowl. Place the trevalla on a large plate, cover with the salt mixture and leave for 1 hour in the fridge.

Rinse the trevalla under cold running water, then pat dry with kitchen paper.

Place the milk and cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, add the trevalla and poach, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes, then drain the fish, reserving the liquid.

Place the fish in a bowl, then add the remaining ingredients and mix together, using a fork to break the fish into flakes.

Season the brandade to taste with salt and pepper; if you like it a little moister, just add a little of the cooking liquid. Cover and keep warm.

Quail eggs:
For perfect sof-boiled quail eggs, bring a saucepan of water to the boil, then carefully add the eggs. Boil for 2 minutes 20 seconds, then refresh in a bowl of iced water. When the eggs are cool enough to handle, shell them and return the eggs to the iced water.

Chilli salt:
To make chilli-salt, simply mix all the ingredients together in a mediumsized bowl. Prepare the squid by removing the tentacles and cutting them in half crossways. Cut open the squid tubes, score the insides in a cross-hatch pattern, then cut into diamond-shaped pieces.

Toss the squid through the chilli-salt, then deep-fry in peanut oil heated to 200 degrees C in a deep-fryer or heavy based saucepan for 2 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.

Place a spoonful of warm brandade on each plate, arrange the rocket and olives alongside and place the squid on top of the salad. Reheat the quail eggs in boiling water for 30 seconds, cut in half and place four halves on each plate. Finish with a drizzle of chilli oil and serve immediately.

Notes:

Notes from Matt Moran:
Tempura flour is readily available from Asian supermarkets. If you have
any chilli salt left over, simple store in an airtight container, ready for
your next batch of chilli-salt squid.
Quail eggs are lovely in this dish, but you can use 6 chicken eggs
instead, just make sure the yolks stay runny.
Any left over chilli oil can be kept in a sealed container in a cool, dark
place for up to 2 weeks.