Steamed snapper and croquettes with tahini vinaigrette (samke harra)

Shane’s deconstructed and modern interpretation of the Lebanese dish samke hara blends Arabic history with Asian and continental influences. You will need a cream gun to make the coriander sponge.

• serves

  4

• prep

  40 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 10 micro chickpea shoots, to serve
• 6 micro blue dandelion shoots, to serve
• 4 coriander flowers, to serve

Steamed snapper

• 1 cup coriander leaves and stems, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp dried mint
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp sriracha chilli sauce
• pinch of salt
• 600 g piece centre–cut snapper fillet, pin-boned

Snapper croquette

• 200 g baby or chat potatoes
• 200 g rock salt
• 2 tbsp pistachios, crushed
• 2 tbsp pine nuts, crushed
• 2 tbsp blanched whole almonds, crushed
• 2 tbsp sriracha chilli sauce
• 1 lemon, finely zested
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 10 mint leaves, finely chopped
• reserved snapper trimmings (from above)
• 1 eggwhite (from 65 g egg)
• ¼ cup chickpea flour (besan flour)
• cottonseed oil or vegetable oil, to deep-fry

Tahini vinaigrette

• 50 ml peanut oil
• 3 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp chilli paste
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp tahini

Coriander sponge

• 80 g unsalted butter
• 70 g plain flour
• 160 g eggs
• 1 bunch coriander roots, stems and leaves
• salt, to taste

Tahini mayonnaise

• 75 g Kewpie mayonnaise (see note)
• 3 tsp peanut oil
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tsp sherry vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 50 g tahini 

Instructions

To make a marinade for the steamed snapper, pound together the coriander, garlic, spices, chilli paste and salt in a mortar and pestle, until smooth. Use enough of the marinade to coat the flesh side of the snapper fillets. Reserve remaining marinade.

Line a bamboo steamer with baking paper and place the snapper fillets, skin side down, in the steamer. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and place the steamer over the top. Cook for 8–10 minutes (the timing will depend on the thickness of your fillet) or until the fish is tender and the flesh flakes away easily.

Remove the fish from the steamer and cut into four 100 g pieces. Gently scrape away and discard the marinade from the flesh. Set fish aside. Roughly flake the remaining trimmings and set aside.

To make the croquettes, preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the potatoes on a bed of rock salt and roast for 25–30 minutes or until tender. While still warm, scoop out the flesh and pass through a potato ricer. Transfer the potato to a mixing bowl. Add 1 tbsp of each of the nuts, chilli paste, lemon rind, spices, mint, snapper trimmings and reserved marinade. Season to taste and mix to combine. Add enough eggwhite to bind the mixture together. Divide into 12 x 40 g portions and shape into cylinders. Combine the remaining nuts and the chickpea flour in a shallow bowl. When ready to serve, roll each croquette in the flour mixture, pressing lightly to ensure an even coating.

To make the tahini vinaigrette, whisk the all the ingredients, except for the tahini, together until well combined. Slowly drizzle in the tahini and whisk until emulsified. Set aside until required.

To make the coriander sponge, melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat. After a few minutes, the butter will begin to foam a second time and form large bubbles. When these bubbles subside, the milk solids will start to caramelise. The butter will begin to turn golden brown and it will have a rich, nutty, caramel smell. This is called a beurre noisette. Remove from the heat and pour into a heatproof bowl to stop the butter cooking further. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Combine the flour, eggs and coriander in a blender and blend on high speed for 40 seconds. Add the beurre noisette and blend until combined. Pass through a sieve. Transfer the batter to a cream gun and charge with 2 bulbs. Shake vigorously. Puncture the base of a disposable plastic cup with a knife. Half–fill the cup with the batter. Place in the microwave and cook on high for 1 minute.

Allow to cool slightly and tear into small chunks. Repeat with the remaining batter (use a new cup each time).

To make the tahini mayonnaise, whisk all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl until smooth. Season to taste and transfer to a squeeze bottle. Refrigerate until required.

Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or deep saucepan to 180°C. Deep-fry the croquettes for 2–3 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towel.

Return the four portioned pieces of fish to the steamer for 1 minute to reheat.

To assemble, place a piece of snapper and 3 croquettes on a plate. Arrange coriander sponge around the fish, dot with mayonnaise and drizzle with tahini vinaigrette. Garnish with the micro herbs and flowers and serve immediately.

Note

• Kewpie is a brand of Japanese mayonnaise available in some supermarkets and some Asian grocers.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.