Morel-hazelnut crumble crusted zander terrine with mango-beetroot puree, confit sunchoke, hazelnut milk foam, anise beurre blanc and beetroot paper

Actually, I had another fish dish on my mind that I have been thinking about the whole week, but still there are some unclear details about it, so I thought to cook something else today. Fish stock is pretty important in the zander terrine, because that is where the flavour comes from. The crumble on top shouldn't scare you because of the dried morel: it is not dominant at all, but between two bites it gives a little kick and asks for attention. Hazelnut is on the plate in various ways: first of all the confit sunchoke was cooked in hazelnut oil, then there is the hazelnut milk foam and it is on top of the fish terrine. My big love beetroot just had to be part of the whole thing and then I had the idea to combine it with mango. I wanted to somewhat balance the earthy taste with some kind of fruit. It might seem to be a strange combination but I think it works nicely. All these elements are tied together with anise. Anise is great with fish and  sunchoke and goes very well with beetroot and mango and it is also in the beurre blanc that closes the circle and so the dish is complete.

Ingredients:

for the crumble:
2-3 dried morels
2 tablespoons coarsly ground roasted hazelnut

for the zander terrine:
125 g fillet of zander
80 ml cream
30 ml fish stock
1 egg white
salt
pepper

for the mango-beetroot puree:
100 g baked beetroot (weighed peeled)
70 g mango
1 teaspoon butter
salt
pepper

for the beetroot paper:
100 g beetroot puree
30-50 ml oil
1 gelatine sheet
1/2 teaspoon anise seeds

for the confit sunchoke:
sunchoke
hazelnut oil
butter for frying
salt
pepper

for the hazelnut milk foam:
25 g hazelnut
150 ml milk
1-2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
5 g lecithin
salt
pepper

for the anise beuree blanc:
1 shallot
10 g butter
4 tablespoons white wine
1/4 teaspoon anise seeds
250 ml fish stock
150 g cold butter
salt
pepper

First peel two medium size beetroots, cut in more or less equal pieces and wrap into foil with bay leaf, anise seeds (packed into a teabag or something, so that you can easily remove it afterwards) and sprinkle some oil on top and bake in the oven until soft on 180°C. Once it cools down, take 100 gramms of it and puree with oil, season with salt and pepper and stir in the previously soaked gelatine. Preheat the oven 90°C. Spread puree on a silicon sheet and sprinkle with anise seeds. Dry in the oven for about 40 minutes, then let it cool. Break into pieces right before serving.

The rest of the baked beet is used in the puree: simply blend all the ingredientes together, mash it though a fine sieve and season with salt and pepper.

For the crumble coarsly ground dried morel and mix together with the ground and roasted hazelnut.

For the zander terrine puree all the ingredients and pour into any kind of form that you like. Place forms into a baking sheet filled with water and steam over 140°C depending on the size for 20-35 minutes.

Cut sunchoke in any shape you like and confit in a 70°C warm hazelnut oil for 40-50 minutes. Fry it golden brown in butter before serving and season with salt and pepper.For the hazelnut milk foam first prepare hazelnut milk: bring milk with ground hazelnut to the boil and chill over night. Bring it to the boil the next day and sieve. Adjust flavour with hazelnut oil, season with salt and pepper. Foam with lecithin before serving.

For the beurre blanc dice shallot and sautee in molten butter, add wine, anise seeds and fish stock. Reduce so that there is about a quarter left. Sieve and add butter and whisk it up with a blender. Season with salt and pepper.