Charred baby cucumbers with confit kingfish and honey chilli pearls

1. Place the dried chilli and vinegar into a small saucepan, warm on medium heat, induction setting 5, for 2 minutes. Cover and allow to stand at room temperature for a minimum of 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, place the vegetable oil into a tall container, cover and place into the freezer for at least 1 hour.
3. In a small metal bowl, add the honey and half of the chilli vinegar, cover with cling wrap and place into the steam oven. Steam at 90°C for 2 minutes. Add the agar agar and stir well, cover again and Steam at 90°C for an additional 2 minutes.
4. Allow the honey chilli mixture to cool for 2 minutes then fill a pipette with the liquid.
5. Remove the cold oil from the freezer and slowly drop the honey chilli mixture into the oil to form pearls.
6. Pour the pearls and oil into a sieve placed over a bowl. Rinse the pearls under cold running water and drain. Store in the fridge until needed.

1. Lightly sprinkle the fish with the salt and place in a small vacuum sealing bag with the oil, dill stalks and lemon rind. Place into the vacuum sealing drawer and Vacuum on level 3 and Seal on level 3. Place the sealed bag onto a rack in the steam oven and Sous-vide at 48°C for 45 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. Drain the oil, remove the aromatics and flake the fish into a small bowl with the dill fronds, ½ tsp of the remaining chilli vinegar and a pinch of salt flakes. Keep in the fridge until needed.

1. Cut the baby cucumbers in half lengthwise and, with a small spoon or knife, remove the seeds leaving a hollow. Run a vegetable peeler down the skin side of the cucumber to flatten the base and allow them to sit flat.
2. Sprinkle salt over the cucumbers and allow to stand for 10 minutes, rinse well and dry with paper towel.
3. Preheat a tepan yaki plate on medium-high heat, induction setting 7, for 5 minutes. Toss the cucumbers in the oil and place flesh side down. Cook for 5 minutes to darken the cut side, cool slightly.
4. Fill the cucumbers with the flaked kingfish and place onto a serving platter. Carefully spoon the honey pearls on top of the fish and top with micro herbs.

• Remaining chilli vinegar can be used throughout other dishes when vinegar is required in the recipes.
• The oil used to make the pearls can be used throughout other dishes when vegetable oil is needed.

• We used kingfish in this recipe, but it works equally well with any large fatty fish, including salmon, or ocean trout. Ask your fishmonger for their recommendation for a responsibly sourced fish.