Oyster with a dashi beurre blanc & chicken skin

Today I'll be showing you how to make your own dashi. With that we're going to make an amazing beurre blanc and use it to poach some oysters. I serve it with crispy chicken skin, chives oil and caviar.

The dashi

100 grams	kombu
4 liters	water
30 grams	bonito flakes
1 kg	chicken wings
500 grams	chicken bones
100 grams	dried shiitake mushrooms
500 grams	spring onions
250 grams	onions

First take the kombu and cut it into smaller pieces. Then pour the water into a big pot. Now add the kombu leaves and let this sit for 4 hours to 5 hours. Then bring this to a simmer on a medium heat. While it’s coming to a simmer scoop off the white foam with a ladle. Once the broth is almost at a simmer, let’s say 90 degrees Celsius gently remove the kombu. Then add the bonito flakes and bring this to a simmer. Once it’s simmering, turn of the heat and let it marinade for 15 minutes. Meanwhile transfer the chicken wings on an oven rack and also add the chicken bones. Toast them at 200 degrees Celsius for one hour till nice and golden. Once the bonito has marinated pass it through a fine sieve. Transfer the bonito flakes on a silicon sheet and dry them at 60 degrees Celsius. Now pour the dashi back into the pan and add the toasted chicken. Let this simmer for 90 minutes. After those 90 minutes also add the dried shiitake mushrooms and let it simmer for 1 more hour. Then drain the broth and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, so you don’t waste a single drop. Meanwhile trim the end from the spring onions and wash them. Now chop them. Then take the onions, cut them in half, clean them and chop them. Once that’s done pour the dashi back into the pan and add the chopped spring onion and onion. Let this simmer for 90 minutes. Then pass the dashi through a fine sieve and let it sit so you don’t waste a single drop. After that bring it to a simmer once more and use a ladle to remove the chicken fat.

The dashi jelly

160 grams	dashi
1 leave or 1.6 gr	gelatine
1 grams	agar powder

Pour the dashi into a saucepan and then soak the gelatin in cold water. Now also add the agar powder to the dashi and mix this well. Then bring it to a boil for 30 seconds. Once that’s done dissolve your gelatin. Now take a metal tray and add a thin layer of oil. Then pour 50 grams of the dashi jelly on the tray for a super thin jelly. Now let it set for 5 minutes on a level surface. Then let it set for 30 more minutes in your fridge. After that cut it with a round cutter and keep it covered in your fridge for later.

The dashi sauce

400 grams	dashi
20 grams	cream
200 grams	cold cubes of butter
	Rice vinegar
	Salt

Reduce the dashi till your left with 100 grams of reduction. Then add the cream and bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling turn down the heat and while stirring add the cold cubes of butter. Then give it a little taste for seasoning. For me it needed a touch of rice vinegar to balance the creaminess. I also added a touch of salt. It doesn’t need much because the sauce is already so flavorful. Then give it a taste once more and keep it in your fridge for later.

The chives oil

20 grams	chives
120 grams	neutral oil

Chop the chives and then transfer it into a blender. Also add the neutral oil. Then blend this till the oil is at 65 degrees Celsius. It will heat up from the friction. After that pass it through a fine sieve that’s lined with a kitchen paper. Let it drain in your fridge to prevent it from changing color.

The chicken skin

Take around 200 grams of chicken skin and spread it on a cutting board. Now use a pallet knife to remove all the fat. Then spread the cleaned skin on a silicon sheet. Season it with a touch of salt and then put another sheet on top. Cover this with something heavy and bake it at 160 degrees Celsius for around 30 minutes of golden and crispy. Then let it cool down. Once that’s done, chop it. Now take the dried bonito flakes and crunch them with your hands into a fine flake. Mix 1 part of the bonito flakes with 2 parts of chicken skin. Keep it dry and covered for later.

The fresh gel

50 grams	ginger syrup
80 grams	sushi vinegar
20 grams	sugar
2 grams	agar powder

Mix the ginger syrup with the sushi vinegar, the sugar and the agar powder. Now mix this well and then bring it to a boil for 1 minute. After that pour it into a bowl and let it set in your fridge. Then transfer it into a blender and blend it into a smooth gel. Transfer it into a piping bottle and keep it in your fridge fore later.

The oysters

Put an oyster between a kitchen cloth to protect your hands and insert the oyster knife in the joint. Then twist it to pop the joint and gently cut the muscle on the flat side. Now cut the muscle loose on the round side of the shell and transfer it on a metal tray. Repeat this process with all the oysters. Then keep then covered in your fridge for later. Now transfer the round shells in some warm water and clean them. Then lay them on a tray and let them dry.

How to finish the dish

First lay the oyster shells on some coarse salt to keep them level. Then bring a small amount of the dashi beurre blanc to a simmer. Once it’s simmering turn of the heat and add the oysters. Let them poach for 40 to 50 seconds. Then transfer them into the shell and cover with the sauce. Now add a drizzle of the chives oil. Cover this with the dashi jelly and then the chicken skin crumble. Now pipe a couple of dots of the fresh gel on top and place some caviar and May flowers in between the dots.