Char-grilled sole with mediterranean flavors
El Celler de Can Roca
Chef: Joan Roca
Country: España
City: 17007 Girona
Address: Ctra. Talaia, 40
(+34) 972222157info@cellercanroca.com
The combined creative capacity of the Roca brothers, Joan, Jordi and Josep, is undeniable. The sheer number of Best Artistic Dishes awarded by this guide in recent years suffices as a testimony. With those from this year’s edition they now count eleven, a number only surpassed by Martín Berasategui and, of course, Ferran Adrià.
This dish reflects the marvels of Joan’s cuisine in the most recent season, propelling him to the highest ranking in the culinary world. A perfect proposal, exhaustively reflected upon and balanced in its manifestations, as complex as it is silky. The sole, immaculate in texture and flavor, with a remarkable consistency, shines for its intrinsic qualities and for the preparation that is applied, respecting and even strengthening its natural character. The main ingredient could hardly be any better, minimally dressed, with small olive oil beads, as if they were caviar, which insist on the flavor yet detract nothing from its purity. The sauces constitute a velvety abundance with different palatal colors. Given the diversity, it is hard to consider it truly minimalist, though certainly within the category of essentialism. Each teardrop of the sauce demands complicity on the part of the guest which, thanks to the instruction manual, begins here or finish there, opens up possibilities for play, first this, then that, I’ll return here later or I’ll go over there now… All are exquisite: pine nuts, bergamot, orange, fennel and black olives. So many varied sensations appear precisely tempered and incredible harmonized. Credit is due for the manner in which the ensemble is constructed and the color they encompass.
The Recipe
For the sole
2 soles
Olive oil
Preparation
Clean and separate the filets from the bones. Submerge the filets in a water solution with 10% salt for 5 minutes. Dry the filets well with absorbent paper, combine the filets, two by two, bringing together the meat side that was in contact with the spine. Move to a sous-vide bag and submerge in the Roner at 55ºC for 4 minutes.
Open the bag. The filets should have stuck together, making them very juicy. At service time brown them quickly over a wood-grill with holm oak.
For the Manzanilla olive emulsion
250 g pitted Manzanilla olives
150 g olive water
Manzanilla extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
Blend the olives with the water to obtain a smooth, uniform texture. Pass the puree through a sieve. When the mixture is at room temperature move it to a bowl. Mixing constantly, gradually add a ribbon of oil in the mixture until obtaining an emulsion with a texture similar to mayonnaise.
For the pine nut emulsion
100 g pure pine nut paste
100 g Argodell extra virgin olive oil
100 g water
Preparation
Mix the pine nut paste and water using the mixer. Move the mixture to a bowl. Mixing constantly, gradually add a ribbon of oil in the mixture until obtaining an emulsion with a texture similar to mayonnaise.
For the orange emulsion
500 g orange juice
50 g glucose
Arbequina extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
In a pot, mix the juice and glucose together and reduce the heat to low until reducing the mixture to a third of its initial volume. Leave to cool and when the mixture is at room temperature move it to a mixing bowl. Mixing constantly, gradually add a ribbon of oil in the mixture until obtaining an emulsion with a texture similar to the other sauces.
For the bergamot emulsion
150 g water
Zest of 1 bergamot orange
150 g bergamot juice
3 g agar
Arbequina extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
In a pot, boil the water with the zest and agar, mixing constantly until it begins to boil. Add the bergamot juice, strain and refrigerate until it solidifies.
Once cold and coagulated, blend well with a Robot mixer to obtain a texture similar to a jelly, smooth and shiny. Move the mixture to a bowl. Mixing constantly, gradually add a ribbon of oil in the mixture until obtaining an emulsion with a texture similar to the rest of the sauces.
For the fennel emulsion
300 g liquified fennel juice
3 g agar agar
Arbosana extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
In a pot, boil the juice with the agar, mixing constantly until it begins to boil. Refrigerate until it sets.
Once cold and coagulated, blend well with a Robot mixer to obtain a texture similar to a jelly, smooth and shiny. Move the mixture to a bowl. Mixing constantly, gradually add a ribbon of oil in the mixture until obtaining an emulsion with a texture similar to the rest of the sauces.
For the Isomalt sugar caramels
200 g Isomalt sugar
Dauro olive oil (Arbequina, Koroneiki, Hojiblanca)
Preparation
In a small bowl, heat the sugar dry until it melts. Once melted, submerge the tip of a pastry bag stem in order to create a thin membrane. At this point, add a small amount of olive oil from a teaspoon (for a quantity reference) and the weight of the olive oil itself will close this membrane creating an oil-filled caramel. They can be kept submerged in olive oil to protect them from moisture.
Finishing and plating
On a rectangular plate, place a teardrop of each emulsion, starting at the bottom and moving up through the order (start-finish): fennel, bergamot, orange, pine nut, olive. Place the sole perpendicular to the teardrops and top the filets in this order: fennel flower, Spanish broom flowers, orange rind confit, raw pine nuts and the olive oil caramel.