Skate, macadamis cream and shiitake

Serves 2 Starters and mains

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Method

To prep the skate wing, lay it flat on a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, start at the thick square end. Run your knife flat along the cartilage in long, even cuts all the way to the wing tip. Repeat on the other side. Trim away any flesh that is too thin. You will be cooking each half as is, so you need to think about how the thinnest end will cook in regard to the thickest.

Put all the ingredients for the macadamia cream, except the fish stock, in a blender. Starting on a low speed, blend until smooth, then turn the speed up and slowly add 100g water and the stock until you reach a smooth, thin-ish purée consistency.

For the powder, blend the wattle seeds and salt together in a spice grinder until you have a fine powder.

Preheat the wood-fired oven to 450C. Heat a cast-iron frying pan in the wood oven, then add a little vegetable oil and the diced mushrooms and season with salt. Roast them in the oven for 4 minutes or so until caramelised and cooked through, then remove the pan from the oven and season with the cherry blossom vinegar.

To cook the skate, lightly oil and season both sides of the fillet and place in a soaked terracota dish. Add the stock, garlic and basil leaves. Cover with a lid and cook in the wood oven for 5-6 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillet. It's important to use a gentle heat and cook the fish carefully as skate needs delicate handling.

Spoon macadamia cream on to serving plates, cover with roasted shiitakes and dust with the wattle seed powder, then top with the skate to serve.

Fish stock: Put 1kg fish skins in a pot and cover with cold water. Slowly bring up to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes, regularly skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Carefully ladle off the liquid and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Makes 1kg fish skin stock.

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