Competing in this year’s Great British Menu on BBC2, Rudding Park’s Executive Chef, Stephanie Moon had a lot of things to bear in mind: “I wanted to make references to the Olympics but I alsowanted to keep in mind that I was cooking for Olympians, so there is a health element – the fish starter in particular is healthy in the way that it’s cooked – the consommé is a light, clear stock and there are lots of sprouting beans … I did make the butter myself though and that isn’t terribly healthy!”

To make the stock for the consommé:

Ingredients
1 kg Whitby crab bones
150g peeled white chopped onions
150g washed fennel chopped
2g fresh thyme stalks
2g dill stalks
1 bottle nice Sauvignon Blanc
1 star anise
1g parsley stalks
40g carrots peeled and chopped
20g washed leeks chopped
100ml good quality Vermouth
4 pints of cold water
1 large tablespoon of double concentrate tomato puree (Napolina)
1g saffron strands
6 ripe tomatoes chopped
2kg crab claws
Olive oil for frying

Method
– Firstly caramelise the crab bones for a while getting maximum flavour from the bones on the stove top do not put them in the oven.
– Fry the onions, carrots and fennel. Add the leeks after 2 minutes of frying over a moderate heat.
– Add the tomato puree and fry another minute
– Next add the cooked roasted crab bones and flambé with the brandy
– Add the tomatoes, herb stalks, the cold water and saffron
– Bring to the boil and remove any unwanted liquid that comes to the surface and turn down to a simmer heat.
– Cook gently for 25 mins longer – during this time remove further unwanted liquid (at the surface)
– Now strain the stock through a muslin cloth and chill quickly in a blast chiller until cold this will take around 30 minutes)

Clarification:

Ingredients
3 pints of fish stock- cold
80g fennel finely chopped
40g leeks washed white only
80g carrot peeled and finely chopped
300 g Plaice or Whiting fillet skinned and finely chopped
6 large egg whites
1 tablespoon double concentrate tomato puree
2g fresh thyme
1.5g fresh dill stalks
3 crushed cardamoms
18 each mixed peppercorns
2g fennel seed
1 g saffron

Method
– Blend all ingredients well in a blender add the egg whites and herbs last.
– Place the 6 egg whites into a bowl and beat five times with a whisk to begin breaking down the protein.
– Next add all ingredients except the stock into a bowl with the egg whites and mix well.
– Place the cold stock into a sturdy pan with a heavy bottom.
– Add the egg white clarification mixture and mix well.
– Place on the heat and bring rapidly to the boil stirring regularly all the time.
– Now make a hole in the clarification and allow the consommé mixture to tick over gently as it cooks out, turning the heat down once the raft has come to the top.
– This clear liquid must now cook out gently for 20 minutes until the entire raft is cooked and the golden colour of the consommé is reached.
– When cooked take off the heat and allow a few mins to rest before ladling off the clear stock.
– Now strain this through muslin cloth and reserve on one side for service. Season with salt as required.

Gurnard:

Ingredients
Gurnard – 90 grams each portion taken from medium size fish
3 baby fennel tops cut into lozenges (blanched simply in boiling water and served)
Approximately 4 grams of cooked pearl barley per serving (blanched in boiling water and served).
1 fine dice of red pepper de-skinned and seeded.
The whole red pepper is roasted gently over the naked gas flame (the skin will burn lightly).Once cooked, the next process is steaming the skin under cling film in a bowl for 5 minutes until the skin can simply be scraped off and the seeds and top and skin of the pepper be removed.
Dice the pepper for the garnish.

Method
– Ensure each portion weighs 90 grm approximately and is filleted skinned and pin boned.
– Place the fish into a vac Pac pouch and add a little olive oil and spice of angels.
– Cook at 60oc for 15 minutes or until cooked
– Remove from the pouch
– Season with a little fine salt

Serving:

– Place into the warmed bowl for service
– Serve the pot of consommé separate (to be poured onto the fish by each person themselves)

– The fish is topped with a light decorating of dill and my own foraged wood sorrel (shortened stems only).
– Onto this, add a mound of popping candy
– Delicate lozenges of blanched baby fennel tops decorate the plate with the pearl barley and red pepper fine diced.
– Finally spoon on the popping candy that has been tossed in a natural flavour enhancer to remove the sweetness of the candy.

– Serve the bowl of fish with the pot of consommé.
– The popping candy starts to crackle loudly as the consommé is poured onto the fish.
– The cast iron Staub bowl gives off a ring when the metal spoons come in contact with it (the dish has two noises for the senses to hear).
– When heard on mass, this sounds very much like a constant wind chime in the room and is a really different sound experience.

For more of Stephanie’s Recipes and to keep up to date with her cooking adventures visit her blog The Wild Cook, or to simply enjoy her menu head to Rudding Park!