Lunch at the Fat Duck - part 7

Course #9, more seafood:

SALMON POACHED IN A LIQUORICE GEL

• Artichokes, Vanilla Mayonnaise and Golden Trout Roe

This dish is in my cookbook, and I must admit that I have been a bit doubtful about it, but I was of course wrong. This is a piece of salmon that has been coated with a gel containing liquorice and then cooked sous vide. The picture in the book shows a piece of fish entirely covered in a glossy layer of gel. The recipe may have evolved a bit, because what was served seemed to have less of the liquorice gel.

As I mentioned, my scepticism was uncalled for. As with all the dishes this day, the combination was perfectly balanced. The moist and perfectly cooked salmon had a hint of liquorice that suited it nicely, and the vanilla mayonnaise was one of my favourite components during the meal. I need to try to make it at home.








The last savoury dish was 

THE DUCK

• Bay, Blood Pudding and Umbles

It goes without saying that the Fat Duck should serve duck. This one was tender, succulent and served with blood pudding, umbles and a potato pure. I would guess that the duck breast had been done sous vide and the skin seared afterwards, but that may not be correct. Anyway, the piece of meat was perfectly done.

The potato pure was one of the best I have had anywhere. It had lots of taste and was very smooth and creamy. I know that Heston B has a recipe where he first heats the potato pieces to 72 degrees for 30 minutes or so. This is done to bind the starch in the potato so that it does not leak out and makes glue of the whole thing.

After the 72 degrees treatment, the pieces of potato are boiled until very tender and then mashed and passed through a sieve. Butter is added and the mash is then mixed with milk that has been infused with the potato peels. This makes a very smooth and creamy mash with lots of potato flavour. I do not know if this is the recipe used at the Fat Duck, but it probably is something along those lines.


The umbles were made up in a thin, crispy and very tasty pastry roll. This was also one of our favourite elements of the meal.