Poached Jellyfish
Corn Broth, XO Sauce, Chile Oil, Basil
Chef Seth Stowaway of Osito | San Francisco
Adapted by StarChefs | October 2022 | Photo: Rae Serra
INGREDIENTS:
Fragrant Chile Oil:
Yield: 2 quarts
2 quarts grapeseed oil
1 bay leaf
1.5 grams cinnamon
2.5 grams star anise
2.5 grams fennel seeds
25 grams garlic
15 grams ginger
15 grams scallion
½ yellow onion
25 grams guajillo chiles, stems removed
15 grams espelette chiles
15 grams Aleppo chiles
10 grams gochugaru
XO Sauce:
Yield: 2 quarts
3 cups grapeseed oil
1 cup brunoise shallot
½ cup brunoise Fresno chiles
1 cup brunoise garlic
1 cup brunoise ginger
1 cup brunoise ramp
1 cup sliced roasted, shiitake mushrooms, marinated in shio koji
Green Szechuan peppercorns
Corn Broth:
Yield: 1 quart
1 pint cooked corn
¼ cup cultured butter
Lecithin
Jellyfish:
Salt-packed jellyfish
Double-brewed soy sauce
Black vinegar
Salt
Opal basil
METHOD:
For the Fragrant Chile Oil:
In a pot, bring 1 quart grapeseed oil to 300°F. Add bay leaf, spices, garlic, ginger, scallion, and onion. Reduce heat to 245°F. Add chiles and gochugaru. Once the mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat. Add the remaining grapeseed oil. Let rest 48 hours. Strain into a nonreactive container. Refrigerate.
For the XO Sauce:
In a saucepan over medium flame, heat grapeseed oil. Add shallot and Fresno chiles. Fry until tender, then remove from oil and set aside. Add garlic and ginger to the oil. Fry until tender, then remove from oil and set aside. Add ramps to the oil and fry until tender. Transfer the oil and ramps to a large, nonreactive container and add the fried shallot, chiles, garlic, and ginger. Fold in mushrooms. Add 1 quart Fragrant Chile Oil. Season with Szechuan peppercorns. Let cool and reserve.
For the Corn Broth:
In a pot over medium heat, combine corn and 1 quart filtered water. Bring to a simmer. Transfer to a Vitamix blender and purée until smooth. Strain through a chinois into a nonreactive container. Weigh. Add butter and 1% lecithin by weight of corn broth. Using an immersion blender, blitz until smooth. Refrigerate.
For the Jellyfish:
In a nonreactive container, cover jellyfish with water. Let soak 3 hours, changing the water every hour. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add jellyfish and blanch 45 seconds, then shock in ice water. Cut the jellyfish into 3-inch strips. In a vacuum bag, combine jellyfish and Fragrant Chile Oil. Seal to compress. Strain the jellyfish, then reserve.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a small bowl, mix to combine a small amount of Jellyfish, XO Sauce, soy sauce, black vinegar, and salt. Adjust ingredient amounts as needed. In the middle of a small serving bowl, shape the Jellyfish mixture into a little hill with plenty of XO Sauce at the top. Using an immersion blender, blitz Corn Broth until frothy. Spoon the Corn Broth around the Jellyfish like a moat. Garnish with opal basil.
