Chef’s Recipe: Fillet of Halibut with Bacon Jam

Enjoy this delicious meaty white fish dish, but make sure you source your ingredients from reputable fishmongers who use sustainable stocks. For this reason our recipe comes all the way from the stunning location of Rufflets in St Andrews where they have the rich larder of the Kingdom of Fife on hand. Head Chef David Kinnes shares his recipe which will be on the hotel’s new a la carte menu from 18th March 2019.

Recipe – serves 4

Fillet of halibut fillet, bacon jam, savoy cabbage, celeriac, smoked mash, truffle foam

Ingredients

• 4 x 140gms halibut fillet (skin off) (you can use cod fillet or hake fillet as another option)
• 175gms savoy cabbage
• 1 large carrot
• Sprig of thyme and rosemary
• 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
• 55gms duck fat
• 85gms peeled celeriac
• 75ml double cream
• 85gms peeled butternut squash
• 150gms peeled Maris piper or roosters
• 125gms butter
• Handful of smoking chips
• ½ lemon
• Knob of butter
• 50ml double cream
• 50ml red wine jus
• Truffle (either fresh or paste)
• Seasoning

Bacon Jam

Ingredients

• 454gms smoked back bacon
• 4 chopped garlic cloves
• 1 sliced medium onion
• 45gms brown sugar
• Splash of tabasco
• 25ml brewed coffee
• 60ml cider vinegar
• 60ml maple syrup
• Black pepper
• Water

Method for bacon jam

1. Dice bacon and fry in batches until crisp
2. Add garlic and onion and cook until translucent
3. Transfer all ingredients together except water
4. Simmer for 2 hours, adding ¼ cup of water every 25-30 mins
5. Keep stirring
6. When ready, cool 15-20 mins then put in food processor
7. Pulse for 2-3 seconds in order to leave texture like jam

Method for halibut

8. In a deep oven try place smoking chips on bottom then put rack on top, place butter in a metal container, place on top of rack cover with tin foil and place over gas/electric/ Aga top and allow to smoke for approx 10 mins (please make sure windows are open), take off and leave for another 10 mins, allow butter to cool and place in fridge to set.
9. Boil potatoes to soft and drain. Mash then add smoked butter and seasoning to taste, put smoked mash into piping bag (optional) and place aside.
10. Finely shred savoy cabbage and grate carrot, add duck fat to deep pan to melt add cabbage and carrot, sweat of for a couple of minutes, then add chopped garlic, thyme and rosemary, allow to cook for approx another 5 mins on a medium heat, season to taste, place aside and keep warm.
11. Place celeriac in a warm pan with a splash of oil and stir for approx 2-3 mins, add double cream and gently cook until celeriac is soft, be careful not to reduce cream as it will split, drain celeriac and place in liquidiser blitz and add reduced cream as required and season to taste.
12. Dice butternut squash and add to boiling watering and cook making sure that it still has a bite to it, drain and gently sauté in butter or oil and season to taste.
13. Place halibut in a warm non-stick sauté pan and cook on one side for approx 2-3 mins depending on thickness of fish, turn and cook for the approx the same time on the other side, squeeze lemon juice, season and add knob of butter and baste halibut with the foaming liquid.
14. Reduce double cream by a half, add red wine jus (which can be bought from most major supermarkets), add freshly grated truffle and bring to a simmer, bring of heat and with hand blender whizz the sauce up until it foams.
15. To assemble, place cabbage on flat plate, halibut on top, quenelle of bacon jam on top of halibut, pipe mash on side of plate, add dots of celeriac puree around the plate, place butternut squash around the celeriac puree, and drizzle truffle foam over halibut and serve. Garnish with pea shoots (optional)

Alternatively, the Luxury Restaurant Guide highly recommends visiting this family owned hotel (it’s been in the same family since 1952), and widely recognised as one of Scotland’s most critically acclaimed hotels. Enjoy a 15% reduction when dining with the Luxury Restaurant Guide. Download the free luxury restaurant finder app here and follow steps to join the club.

 Rufflets, Strathkinness Low Rd, St Andrews, Scotland KY16 9TX