Name: Seared kingfish with mushrooms, black fungi, pickled ginger and sesame dressing
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 tsp sesame oil; 600 gm kingfish (use thickest part of fillet); For searing: vegetable oil; 50 gm enoki mushrooms, trimmed; 50 gm oyster mushrooms, torn; 30 gm black fungi, torn (see note); ½ cup baby shiso (see note) (loosely packed); To serve: black and white sesame seeds, toasted; Pickled ginger; 80 ml rice vinegar (1/3 cup); 40 gm white sugar; 40 gm young ginger, peeled and cut into julienne; Sesame dressing; 40 ml mirin (see note); 35 ml rice vinegar; 35 ml tamari (see note); 1 tsp sesame oil

Seared kingfish with mushrooms, black fungi, pickled ginger and sesame dressing

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for seared kingfish with mushrooms, black fungi, pickled ginger and sesame dressing

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tsp sesame oil

600 gm kingfish (use thickest part of fillet)

For searing: vegetable oil

50 gm enoki mushrooms, trimmed

50 gm oyster mushrooms, torn

30 gm black fungi, torn (see note)

½ cup baby shiso (see note) (loosely packed)

To serve: black and white sesame seeds, toasted

Pickled ginger

80 ml rice vinegar (1/3 cup)

40 gm white sugar

40 gm young ginger, peeled and cut into julienne

Sesame dressing

40 ml mirin (see note)

35 ml rice vinegar

35 ml tamari (see note)

1 tsp sesame oil

Method

Main

1.For pickled ginger, combine rice vinegar, sugar and ½ cup water in a saucepan and stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Season to taste with sea salt, then add ginger and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes or until ginger is tender. Cool completely before using.

2.For dressing, combine ingredients and 2 tsp pickled ginger liquid and set aside.

3.Rub sesame oil over kingfish and season well with sea salt and freshly ground white pepper. Heat vegetable oil on a hot grill plate and sear kingfish for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden, but still rare in the centre. Cool completely before slicing.

4.To serve, thinly slice kingfish and arrange on plates. Drain ginger and place in a bowl with mushrooms, fungi, shiso and a little dressing and toss to combine. Arrange salad beside kingfish, drizzle with more dressing, scatter with sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Note Black fungi is available from select supermarkets and Asian food stores. Shiso, a herb related to basil and mint, is available from Japanese and Vietnamese food stores and select greengrocers. Mirin is a Japanese sweet wine made from glutinous rice, while tamari is a wheat-free soy sauce, both available from Asian food stores and supermarkets.
Notes