Courtesy of Chef Yair Feinberg

INGREDIENTS

• 12 slices (5 ounces/150g) white drum, about 1-1/4 inch/3cm
• Zest of one lemon
• Zest of one orange
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

For the ‘Gefilte’ 

• 1 scant pound (500 grams) white drum filet (without bones and skin)
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) coarsely ground black pepper

For the fish stock 

• 2 pounds (about a kilogram) fish bones and heads
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
• 1 onion, washed, peeled, and quartered
• 1 carrot, trimmed, washed and sliced (approx. 2cm each slice)
• 10 stems of parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 fennel bulbs, washed, trimmed, and quartered
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) ouzo or arak
• 3 -1/4 quarts (3 liters) water
• 2 stars of anise

For the garnish 

• 1 carrot peeled and sliced (approximately ½-inch/5 mm each
• Minced tarragon (or parsley leaves)
• 12 lemon wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Throw in all the ingredients for the ‘gefilte’ in your Thermomix (or a really powerful food processor). Mince until you have a smooth and homogenous mixture. Take care not to over-process the mixture because your machine might heat up and ‘cook’ the fish.
2. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, zests from both lemon and orange and a little bit of olive oil. Form the mixture into balls (about the size of a small lemon) and stuff them in between the fish slices. Arrange the stuffed slices inside the cooking pouches and close with a vacuum seal.
3. Arrange sealed pouches inside your SousVide Supreme which has been pre-heated at 131F/55C for 30minutes.
4. Take out pouches from your SousVide Supreme straight into a prepared ice-water bath. Leave the pouch in the ice-water bath for an hour and then transfer to your fridge until serving time.
5. Raise the temperature of your SousVide Supreme to 180F/82C, arrange sliced carrots for garnish inside cooking pouch and then vacuum seal. Cook for 15 minutes. Take them out and place the pouch in the ice-water bath for 30minutes. Transfer pouch in the fridge to cool until serving.
6. For the fish stock you will need a wide pot that can hold all the fish heads and bones. Heat pot and olive oil. Saute fish heads and bones and gently cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes (or until fish has a slightly golden color). Next, add your vegetables and let it cook till translucent (about 15 minutes). Add the Ouzo and let simmer for 3 minutes until most of the alcohol has evaporated. Add water and bring to boil. Adjust heat to low and let simmer for an hour.
7. Strain fish stock in a fine mesh strainer. Transfer to a clean pot. Add your star of anise for flavor and let simmer until it has reduced to a thick consistency. Let cool then pour into small ‘muffin’ molds and cool completely in the fridge (this is your aspic).
8. To serve, arrange a stuffed fish on each plate. Garnish with a slice of carrot and minced tarragon (or parsley) and several cubes of aspic (jellied fish stock). Don’t forget to add a wedge of lemon.