10% herb brine:
1. In a large pan combine the water and salt and bring to the boil.
2. Once all of the salt has dissolved, remove from the heat, set aside and allow to cool to 40°C.
3. Add the herbs and aromatics.
4. Once the brine has completely cooled, Keep in the fridge until required.
Smoked mussel stock:
Note: When making this stock always check the night before with the meat section that you can use
the Josper straight after service to flame the mussels and with hot larder that there is pickled dulse
pickling liquid.
Soak a log in cold water for 2 hours before you use the Josper.
1. Rinse the mussels under cold running water for 30 minutes then drain.
2. Place them into a deep gastro and pour the grapeseed oil over them, toss the mussels so that
they are all fully coated.
3. Place the mussels into 3 large shallow steamer trays, have 3 shallow trays ready to place
underneath the steamer trays to catch any juices once the mussels have been through the Josper.
4. Check the temperature of the Josper, it needs to be 250°c/300°c.
5. Throw the soaked log onto the glowing coals in the Josper, this will create smoke within the
chamber.
6. Slide the 3 trays of mussels into the Josper, 2 trays on the bottom rack and 1 tray on the top rack.
Cook the mussels for 2½ minutes, shaking the steamer tray every 30 seconds to encourage the
smoke.
7. After 2½ minutes slide the trays under the steamer trays and continue to cook for a further 4
minutes.
8. Remove the mussels from the Josper being very careful not to spill any of the drained juices.
9. Place the trays of mussels into the blast chiller.
10. Once fully chilled drain the collected smoked mussel stock and place it into a container and
reserve for later on.
11. Place the cooked mussels into a large container and place into the fridge until required.
12. Set the brat pan to fry mode, 180°C, once the temperature reaches 150°C add 300g olive oil
followed by the button mushrooms.
13. Evenly colour the mushrooms so they are golden brown in colour.
14. Remove the mushrooms from the bratt pan, set aside.
15. Set the heat to fry mode 120°C and add the remaining 100g olive oil followed by the sliced
shallots, sweat without colour until they go translucent.
16. Add the sliced garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
17. Add the white wine, mussels, carrots, shitake mushrooms and water.
18. Set the brat pan to boil mode between 95°C/98°C.
19. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
20. After 30 minutes turn off the heat and add the Konbu and dulse.
21. After 5 minutes add the parsley, bonito and reserved smoked mussel stock.
22. After a further 5 minutes pass the stock through a fine sieve followed by a super bag.
23. Add the pickled dulse liquid and white soy and mix thouroughly.
24. Check the acidity level with a sous chef before chilling down.
25. Blast chill the stock in a deep gastronome tray.
26. Remove any surface fat and discard.
To finish the mussel stock:
1. Bag the stock into 1 litre bags.
2. Store in the fridge until required.
Note: This stock must be made every 3 days.
Lovage Oil:
To make the lovage purée
1. Wash the lovage in cold water to remove any dirt, you may need to do this a few times to ensure
all of the dirt has been removed.
2. Pick the lovage, keeping the leaves and stalks seperate.
3. Place a large pot of water on the stove, set to heat source 10 and bring to a rapid boil.
4. Have two ice baths ready to refresh the picked lovage leaves and the stalks.
5. Seperatly blanch the picked lovage leaves and stalks.
6. Blanch the lovage leaves for 30 seconds, refresh in one of the ice baths.
7. Blanch the lovage stalks for 1 minute 20 seconds, refresh in one of the ice baths.
8. Drain the blanched leaves and stalks.
9. Spin the leaves and stalks in the salad spinner to get rid of any excess water.
10. Place the blanched and drained leaves and stalks into the Thermomix jug.
11. Blitz on speed 8 for 30 seconds, stop the Thermo lift the lid and scrape the sides of the jug, then
continue to blitz for a further 30 seconds.
12. Place the blitzed lovage into a paco jet container and cover with a lid.
13. Place the paco jet container into the blast freezer and freeze as quickly as possible.
14. Run the frozen lovage through the pacojet.
15. The blitzed lovage is now ready to use to make the lovage oil.
To make the lovage oil
1. Place the lovage purée and the vegetable oil into the Thermomix jug.
2. Blitz on speed 8 for 3 minutes, stop the Thermo lift the lid and scrape the sides of the jug, then
continue to blitz for a further 1 minute.
3. Set up a half deep gastro container with a steamer tray insert lined with a double layer of muslin.
4. Transfer the lovage oil onto the double layer of muslin and cover with cling film.
5. Place into the fridge and leave for 24 hours.
6. Very gently squeeze the lovage purée that is left in the muslin to pass through any excess oil (be
very careful not to pass any lovage pulp through into the oil).
7. Discard of the lovage pulp and muslin.
8. Weigh the passed lovage oil into 200g small vac pac bags and sous vide on program 1.
9. Store in the freezer until required.
Lovage Mayonnaise:
1. Place the chardonnay vinegar into a small pan and reduce to 40g.
2. Once reduced set aside to fully cool.
3. Place the egg yolk, mustard and salt into the thermo jug.
4. Insert the butterfly attachment and attach the lid.
5. Set the thermo to speed 4 no heat.
6. Gradually incorporate 150g of the lovage oil, blitz to fully emulsify.
7. Once you have emulsified the lovage oil add the cool reduced chardonnay vinegar to make the
mayonnaise more workable. Lift the lid of the thermo and scrape the sides of the jug using a
spatula.
8. Set the thermo to speed 4 no heat and gradually emulsify the remaining 50g of lovage oil.
9. Taste the emulsion to check for seasoning, balance and consistency.
10. Divide the mayonnaise into two batches. Place into small vac pac bags.
11. Sous vide on program 1.
12. Refrigerate until required.
Note: the mayonnaise has a 2 day shelf life.
Pickled dulse:
1. In a pan, heat the water, chardonnay vinegar and white soy.
2. Add the sugar and salt, stir until dissolved.
3. Remove from the heat and leave to fully cool.
4. Thoroughly wash the dried dulse in cold running water to remove any sand, then leave to stand for
10 minutes.
5. Strain the dulse and leave to drain.
6. Add the re hydrated dulse to the cooled pickling liquid.
7. Pour into a vac pac bag and sous vide on program 1.
8. Place the pickled dulse into the fridge to pickle for 48 hours before it is used.
Pickled Lemons:
1. In a pan, heat the water and chardonnay vinegar then add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
2. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
3. Use a mandolin to thinly slice the lemons into 1.5mm thick slices (slice across the lemons so you
get a circular cross section). As you are slicing the lemons, check for pips which should be removed
and discarded.
4. Once all the lemons are sliced, add them to the cooled pickling juice.
5. Weigh the bags into 500g and sous vide on program 1.
6. Store in the fridge until required.
Note: allow to pickle for a minimum of 3 days before they are used.
Spelt for Octopus:
To heat up the garnish for the spelt
1. Heat up the emulsion in a small pan.
2. Add the sea beet and monks beard, gently heat through.
3. When hot remove the garnish from the pan onto a metal tray lined with a c-fold.
4. Season with salt and cracked black pepper, then serve.
Spelt for octopus
Note: reserve 10 of the liquid, add it to the spelt if required at the end.
1. In a large pan toast the spelt in the olive oil, until nutty and brown in colour.
2. Combine the vegetable stock and water in a seperate pan and heat to 90°C.
3. Add the stock to the toasted spelt and cook over a moderate heat stirring regularly.
4. Once the liquid has almost been totally absorbed and the spelt is soft in texture remove from the
heat.
5. When cooked, pour the spelt base onto a tray and spread into a thin layer, place in the blast chiller
to cool.
6. Once cooled, portion the spelt into 20g portions, wrap each portion in cling film.
7. Store in the fridge until required.
Note: Always check the cooking of the spelt with a sous chef before chilling.
Octopus:
1. Preheat the water bath to 85°C.
2. Wash the octopus for 10 minutes in cold rnning water.
3. Drain the octopus and lay it onto a tray lined with blue j-cloths; pat the octopus dry.
4. Cut the legs off the octopus at the base of the head.
5. Cut the base of the head just above where the eyes are and discard the section that contains the
beak and the eyes.
6. Save the top of the head for stock; ensure the ink sacks are removed and the inside of the head
is clean.
7. Neatly place the octopus legs into a large boilable vac pac bag along with the olive oil.
8. Sous vide on program 1, ensuring the legs are laying flat and in a single layer.
9. Place the octopus legs into the water bath set at 85°C and cook for 4 hours.
10. Once cooked remove the octopus legs from the water bath and cool in ice water.
11. Once fully chilled place in the fridge until required.
To prepare the octopus for serving:
1. Remove the cooked octopus legs from the vac pac bag and discard the bag and jelly.
2. Scrape the sides and underneath of each octopus leg removing the skin and a thin layer of
cartiledge. Leave the suckers intact and on the legs.
3. Place the dressed octopus legs onto a tray, cover with cling film and put in the fridge until required.
Note: once the octopus has been cooked it has a 3 day shelf life.
To serve the octopus:
1. Lay the portion of octopus onto a metal tray.
2. Coat with olive oil.
3. Colour the octopus on the plancha until golden, being careful not to knock off any of the suckers.
4. Once seared place the octopus into the deck oven set at 150°C; when the octopus reaches 60°C
remove from the oven and place into the warming draw.
5. Coat with garlic butter, season with maldon salt and cracked black pepper.
6. Serve the octopus at 60°C.