Vendace tartare | Norbert Niederkofler

Ingredients for 4 people

For the vendace

• 2 kg of fresh vendace
• 200 g sunflower oil for frying
• 600 g salt
• 1 kg sugar
• 5 stalks of parsley
• 5 stalks of dill
• 50 g green apple
• 5 g grapeseed oil
   

Procedure

Clean the vendace and place the scales in running water for about a couple of hours, then place them in a desiccator at 50 °C for about 5 hours. When they are dried and white in color, fry them in oil at 190 °C until golden and crispy. Fillet and bone the vendace, marinate it with salt and sugar flavored with dill and parsley stems. Allow the fish filets to marinate for about 2.5 hours (marinating time should be adjusted according to the size of the fish). Afterwards, rinse the fish, strip it of its skin, then cut it into tartare. Season with the green apple cut into brunoise and a drizzle of oil.
 

For the Terlan wine sauce

• Vendace carcasses
• 50 g grapeseed oil
• 1 leek
• 500 ml beef consommé (see basic recipe)
• 500 g ice
• 100 g salted butter
• 200 g Terlan white wine
   

Procedure

Purge the vendace carcasses in running water, toast them in a pan with a drizzle of grapeseed oil, then arrange them on a perforated plate to drain excess fat.
Meanwhile, brown the leeks separately, then add the vendace carcasses, beef consommé, and ice. Bring to a simmer and reduce for about 3 hours. Strain the broth and whisk with salted butter, finally adding the Terlan white wine.
 

Dish composition

• 5 elderflowers in vinegar
• 20 green elderberries in vinegar
• 20 bear garlic berries in vinegar
• lovage oil
   

Preparation

Press the fish into a 12-cm diameter ramekin and lay it on the plate. Lay a few fried scales, elderberries and bear garlic berries and a few elderflower in vinegar on top.
Finish the dish with the Terlan white wine sauce and a few drops of lovage oil.

Plate photo: credits Daniel Töchterle