One BIG Recipe: Citrus Infusion Feast

Difficulty:

1/5

Servings: 4

Ease of Preparation: Medium

Shopping List

Pantry:	On hand:	Need (Minimum):	Yes/no:
Olive oil		3 tablespoons (45 ml)
Salt	X
Pepper	X
Honey		2 tablespoons (30 ml)
Soy sauce		2 teaspoons (10 ml)
Coconut oil		2 teaspoons (10 ml)
Tomato paste		6 ounces (170 g)
Ground cumin		2 tablespoons (30 ml)
Red lentils		2 cups (470 ml
Vegetable stock		9 cups (2.2 L)
White pepper		To taste
White wine		¼ cup (60 ml)
Sugar		2/3 cup (160 ml)
Milk powder		¼ cup (60 ml)
Cornstarch		½ cup (120 ml)
Light brown sugar		¼ (60 ml)
White chocolate		4 ounces (113 g)
Cardamom pods		4

Dairy:
Egg		5
Butter		3/4 cup (180 ml)

Produce:
Fennel		2 heads
Orange		½
Onion		2
Garlic		7
Ginger		5 tablespoons (75 ml)
Carrots		1 ¼ pounds (567 g)
Parsnips		2
Lemon		2
Parsley		Garnish
Cilantro		Garnish
Thyme		8 sprigs
Lemon balm		2 sprigs
Blackberries		14 ounces (397 g)
Micro mint		1 package
Blood orange		1

Fishmonger:
Halibut		2 x 6 ounce (170 g)

Special Equipment:
Butchers twine

Mise en Place, about 1.5 hours before dinner

Do the Knifework for the Soup and Lentils:
- Chop the onions for both recipes
- Peel and chop the carrots for both recipes
- Peel and chop the parsnips
- Mince the garlic for both recipes
- Chop the parsley and cilantro
Start the Soup:
- In a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the olive oil.
- Add the onions, carrots, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are softened, 4-5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot, allowing the vegetables to sweat and soften further, 12-15 minutes.
Make the Lemon Curd:
- Place egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, into the bowl of a double boiler.
- Using a whisk, whisk until completely blended, then continue to whisk as the curd cooks.
- Constantly whisk until the mixture becomes thick.
- Remove bowl from heat.
- Whisk sliced butter into curd, one piece at a time until fully incorporated.
- Pour curd into a jar or bowl and place a plastic wrap directly on top of the curd so that it is in contact with the curd.
- Cool the curd to room temp, about 30 minutes- the curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Place in the refrigerator to chill until ready to use, at least 30 minutes or up to 10 days.
Make the White Chocolate Crumble:
- Preheat the oven to 325 F (160 C)
- In a bowl, mix the milk powder, cornstarch, and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the sugar together.
- Pour the melted butter, then the melted white chocolate over the mixture while mixing with a spoon until a crumb forms.
- Scatter the crumb over a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes until golden.
Start the Lentils:
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt the coconut oil.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the carrots and parsnips, stirring to coat. Season with salt and pepper, then add the tomato paste and cumin. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes more.
- Add the lentils, stir to coat, then add the vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and allow to cook until the lentils are tender but retain their shape, 20-25 minutes.

Get cookin’! – about an hour before dinner

Continue the Soup:
- Add the blood orange zest, cardamom, and thyme. Stir to coat.
- Add the vegetable stock, raise the heat to medium and allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Simmer for 8-10 minutes.
Prepare the Halibut:
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 F (205 C).
- Cut 2 large squares of parchment paper, roughly 13 x 15 inches (33.02 x 38.1 cm).
- Season the halibut with salt and white pepper and place one filet on each parchment square.
- Top the filets with lemon slices, then ginger, then sprigs of thyme and lemon balm.
- Brush the outer rim of the parchment squares with egg white, dot each fish with half of the butter, then sprinkle with half of the wine per fish.
- Fold each parchment square by folding one half of the paper over onto the other half and press together. Make a series of straight folds on the outer rim of the squares to seal the edge together.
- Place the parchment parcels on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The parcels should be puffed up and slightly browned, and the fish should feel firm to the touch when pressed on gently through the paper.
Cure the Blackberries:
- Mix the blackberries with the remaining sugar and let cure for at least 30 minutes.
Back to the Soup:
- Discard the thyme. Ladle the soup into a blender, in batches if necessary, and blitz until smooth.
- While the blender is running, stream in the blood orange juice.
Serve the Soup:
- Ladle soup into warm bowls and garnish with argan oil, more orange zest and thyme leaves

Dinner time! – about 30 minutes before dinner

Prepare the Fennel:
- Cut the fennel into wedges.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, zest, honey.
Grill the Fennel:
- Preheat the grill to high.
- Brush the fennel with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Grill the fennel until charred and tender, roughly 3-5 minutes per side.
- Brush the fennel with the honey/orange/soy mixture while it grills.
Finish the Lentils:
- Add the lemon juice, parsley, and cilantro, and stir to combine.

Serve the Halibut, Fennel, and Lentils:
- Place the parcels on a plate along with the lentils and grilled fennel and serve immediately, opening at the table to release the aromas.

Sit down and enjoy – great work!

Serve the Dessert:
- Spoon the chilled lemon curd onto plates.
- Spoon 3 piles of the white chocolate crumble onto the edges of the curd.
- Artfully place any number or sugar-cured blackberries amongst the piles of crumble.
- Garnish among the piles of crumble with mint.