Michelin chef Akis Chaniotis shares the intricate recipe for John Dory with hearts of palm, homemade tandoori, razor clams and a fricassée of baby gem lettuce
For the steamed razor clams:
Ingredients
• 1 shallot finely sliced
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 carrot diced
• 1 leek top diced
• 100 ml of white wine
• 3 razor clams
• 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
1 Make your pan smoking hot and add all ingredients at once.
2 Cover with a lid and steam for 30 seconds.
3 Take off the heat and chill the razor clams, pass the razor clam stock to make your sauce later.
4 When razor clams are cold take them off the shell discard the skirt and wash off any brown parts and slice very thin.
For the razor clam sauce:
Ingredients
• 50gr of razor clam stock
• 120gr of diced cold butter
Method
1 Bring the razor clam stock to the boil and start adding cold butter whilst you use the handblender to create an emulsion.
2 When ready keep somewhere warm.
3 Set aside a razor clam shell to service.
For the Tandoori masala:
Ingredients
• 100 grams cumin seeds
• 35 grams coriander seeds
• 20 grams cloves
• 5 cinnamon sticks
• 20 grams ginger powder
• 20 grams garlic powder
• 20 grams red chili powder
• 20 grams turmeric powder
• 20 grams mace powder
• 20 grams salt
• Optional: 1 teaspoon orange food coloring
Method
1 Dry-roast the cumin, coriander seeds, cloves, and cinnamon sticks in a pan on a low flame, until they begin to release their aroma.
2 Remove the mixture from heat and allow it to cool.
Grind the ingredients in a coffee grinder to make a smooth powder.
Store the mixture in an airtight container for up to 6 to 8 weeks.
.
3 When mix is ready mix tbsp of dry tandoori mix with a tbsp. of water and a tbsp of early harvest olive oil.
To finish:
Ingredients
• Garnish: 3 Pink grapefruit segments, 3 cucumber flowers and 1 cucamelon
• 1 tin palm hearts – 2 pcs of 4cm tall hearts of palm and 2 pcs of 6cm tall per portion
• 1 baby gem lettuce, remove spine, set aside a couple of whole leafs & finely chop remainder
• 20gr of finely chopped chives
• 150gr portion of John dory but cut in 3 small pieces.
Method
1 Sauté the fish fillets skin side down till crisp, set aside on baking tray on warm shelf – brush skin side with tandoori mix.
2 Warm the palm hearts in a little of the razor clam sauce/emulsion
3 Gently heat half the gem lettuce and chives in the RC sauce, this will be the base for the JD fillets.
4 Mix the other half of gem lettuce with olive oil, salt, – serve on to the clam shell, topping with some clam from the palm hearts pan.
5 Arrange Fillets as per photo: grapefruit segs go under JD filet – alternate 4cm and 6cm P hearts in between the JD as per photo – – JD topped with cucumber flowers and PH topped with cucumber slice.
