Pickled spruce tips

Place the spruce tips in a warmed, sterilised Kilner jar, and bring the other ingredients to the boil in a saucepan. Stir the liquid to dissolve the salt then pour it directly over the tips in the jar.
They will turn a grey colour almost instantly. Seal the jar while still hot and keep in a cool, dark place. The tips can be used straight away but the flavour becomes more complex and the acidity less harsh if they are left alone for several months.

Dried Pine Needles

Break pine branches into small pieces, dry at 60°C for 12 hours. Remove needles and store dry.

Cold-Infused Dashi

Place the water and kombu in an airtight container and let stand in the fridge to infuse overnight (or at minimum 8 hours). 
train through a fine-mesh nylon sieve.

Pine Dashi

Vacuum-seal dashi with dried pine needles and steam at 60°C  or Sous vide for 2 hours. Cool and strain.

Ice-Clarified Tomato Water

Blend ripe tomatoes and freeze the purée. Thaw slowly in a cheesecloth-lined sieve in the fridge. Clear, flavorful liquid will drip through. Don’t squeeze. Store chilled, use within 3 days.

Hops Broth

Add dried wild hops, fresh wild hops, and wild thyme to warm pine dashi. Infuse for 1 hour. Strain and reserve.

Hops jelly

Gently heat the hops broth and seas
on with salt and vinegar. Remove from heat and dissolve 2 pre-soaked gelatin sheets into the warm liquid. Stir in the tomato water.
Pour into a shallow tray and chill until softly set  it should wobble slightly and melt in the mouth, rather than hold a firm shape.
Optional: For even silkier texture, you can combine 1 sheet gelatin + 0.3 g agar   this hybrid gel gives a clean cut but still delicate mouthfeel.

Chestnut foam

Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Crumble the black chestnut directly into the dry hot pan and toast lightly for aroma.Deglaze with the reduced chicken stock. Add the chestnut milk, cream, and chestnut syrup.
Simmer gently to meld flavors, then blend until smooth. Season with salt, add lecithin if desired, and foam with an immersion blender just before serving.

Smoked eel Preparation

Use a high-quality cold-smoked eel fillet. Gently brush the surface with oil and grill over high heat for a short time on each side  just enough to warm through and lightly crisp the exterior while preserving the delicate texture inside.
Once grilled, brush with the mushroom garum glaze

Mushroom garum glaze

Apple juice simmer slowly until syrupy and thick. Once reduced, mix in 10 ml mushroom garum to finish.

How to finish

Place a delicate slice  wild hop jelly at the center of the plate. Lay a slice of glazed grilled smoked eel diagonally across the jelly. Gently spoon the chestnut foam around the eel  Finish with 1 or 2 pickled spruce tips on top.