Sound of the Sea

65 g sake
2 whole fresh yuzu (Japanese citron)
1 whole fresh sudachi (fragrant Japanese citrus fruit)
700 g mirin (sweet cooking sake)
525 g rice wine vinegar
550 g tamari soy sauce (wheat free soy sauce typically used for seasoning sashimi)
110 g “thin mouth” soy sauce (usu kuchi shoyu) (lighter bodied soy sauce)
10 g dried bonito flakes (katsuo bushi) (dried bonito flakes)
15 g konbu (browned on both sides over an open flame)

For the Sand
10 g konbu (dried kelp)
80 g National Starch N-Zorbit tapioca maltodextrin (this is a proprietary product from National Starch that does not have any other equivalent and is key in achieving the proper texture in this dish)
25 g ground waffle cone
30 g crispy fried panko (is a Japanese dried breadcrumb typically used for coating and frying - fried to golden brown in grape seed oil and lightly ground)
5 g crispy fried shirasu (baby Japanese anchovies) fried to golden brown in grape seed oil (you will need additional fried shirasu for garnish)
2 g blue shimmer powder (food grade powder the reflects light, used to make gel 3.5g
caps)(This is used to give a natural shimmer to the sand)
brown carbonized vegetable powder
140 g miso oil (recipe follows)
sea salt as needed

For the Miso Oil
250 g red miso paste
100 g white miso paste
5 g cod liver oil
250 g grape seed oil

For the Pickled Dulce Seaweed
50 g dried dulce seaweed (washed in cold water, picked over, and cut into 4cm strips)
15 g white wine vinegar
40 g rice wine vinegar
40 g water
30 g sugar
2 g salt

For the hijiki seaweed
150 g dried hijiki seaweed
25 g soy sauce
5 g mirin

For the Japanese Lily Bulb (Yurine)
lily bulb as needed (1 “petal” per portion)

For the Sea Sauce Base (this recipe yields more than is needed for the final recipe however is best made at these quantities for optimum results. Surplus sauce base can be frozen for future use)
250 g peeled and finely sliced carrot
250 g finely sliced onion
10 g finely sliced garlic
150 g finely sliced fennel
100 g finely sliced leek (whites and light green)
100 g sliced shallots
50 g vermouth
200 g white wine (Chardonnay)
500 g razor clams (purged in changes of fresh water)
600 g mussels (purged in changes of fresh water, beards removed)
450 g cockles (purged in changes of fresh water)
3,500 g water
75 g dried Wakame seaweed
50 g konbu
30 g flat leaf parsley

For the Razor Clams
500 g razor clams (purged in changes of fresh water)
300 g sauce base, heated (from above)

For the oysters
Kumamoto oysters (1 per portion)

For the Finished Sauce
800 g sauce base (from above)
200 g strained oyster juice from Kumamoto Oysters
30 g white soy sauce (shiro shoyu)
10 g soy lecithin
10 g sodium caseinate

For the sea urchin
live sea urchin (1 urchin per three portions)

For the ponzu
Place the sake in a pan, bring to the boil over high heat and flame off the alcohol. When flame has died down remove the pot from the heat and set aside to cool. Wash the outside of the yuzu and the sudachi then cut in half. Juice the yuzu and the sudachi straining out any seeds. Take the remaining fruit and remove any seeds contained inside. Cut the halves into quarters and place with the juice in a container large enough to hold all of the remaining ingredients. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the container and cover. Place in the refrigerator for one month to infuse and marinate. Strain the liquid through muslin, adjust seasonings with tamari, thin mouth soy sauce, or vinegar if needed. Store the finished ponzu in the refrigerator.

For the sand
In a food processor grind the konbu down to a fine powder, pass through a sieve, and weigh out 4 grams. Mix all of the ingredients except for the miso oil in a mixing bowl. Add the oil, drizzling in a light stream, and stir together to a “wet sand” consistency. Season with the sea salt and store covered until ready for use.

For the miso oil
Fold together very gently and infuse covered in the refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours (48 hours is preferable). Strain the oil through muslin by decanting the oil off of the top.

For the Pickled Dulce Seaweed
Riunire tutti gli ingredienti eccetto le alghe in una casseruola e portare a ebollizione. Togliere dal fuoco e fare raffreddare a temperatura ambiente, poi incorporare le alghe. Lasciare marinare e tenere in frigorifero per 24 ore prima dell’uso.

For the hijiki seaweed
Reconstitute the hijiki in warm water until softened (about 5 minutes) and then drain off the excess water. Rinse the reconstituted seaweed with fresh water and then drain again. Season the hijiki with with the soy sauce and mirin. Refrigerate covered until needed.

For the japanese lily bulb (Yurine)
Rinse off the sawdust that the lily bulbs are stored in, dry, and cut out the core. Separate the individual petals and place in cold water. Using a small knife cut each petal down to have the appearance of a seashell and store covered in fresh water. Blanch the lily bulb in salted simmering water. The lily bulb is cooked through when the pieces begin to float to the surface. Refresh the pieces in ice water and drain. Reserve the pieces cold for service. Note: It is important that the lily bulb retain a slightly crunchy texture here and it is quite easy for these to become overcooked in a matter of a few seconds. It is best to prepare the lily bulb a few pieces at a time to prevent overcooking.

For the Sea Sauce Base
In a saucepan combine the carrot, onion, garlic, fennel, leek, and shallots in the vermouth and white wine and simmer until translucent adding water if necessary to prevent the vegetables from catching on the bottom. Add all of the shellfish and cover with the water. Bring the liquid up to 85°C, cover, and infuse for twenty-five minutes at this temperature. Remove from the heat and add the konbu and parsley. Re-cover and allow too cool to room temperature. Skim any impurities that have risen to the top. Pass the stock through a chinois and then through a damp muslin lined sieve. Cool over and ice bath.

As close to the time of service as possible heat a sauté pan large enough to hold the razor clams in a single layer over medium-high heat. Add the razor clams to the hot pan and pour in the hot sauce base. Cook briefly just until the clams open (15 seconds). Remove immediately and place into an ice bath pan or a blast chiller to cool rapidly. Remove the remaining liquid from the pan, strain, cool and return to the sauce base. Remove the chilled razor clams from their shells and cut away the entrails. Remove the tough section at the top of the remaining tube and then chill covered for service.

Clean the outside of the oysters with cold water. Shuck the oysters and reserve the juice. Strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve and use this juice to wash the oysters. Strain the juice once more and reserve the oysters in their juice refrigerated.

For the Finished Sauce
Combine the sauce base, oyster juice, and white soy sauce in a saucepan and check for seasoning. For the service bring the sauce to room temperature and add the soy lecithin and sodium caseinate. For the service froth the sauce using a hand blender.

Rinse the live sea urchins under running water to wash away and mud or debris. As close to the time of service as possible use a pair of clean kitchen shears to cut and opening around the mouth section of the sea urchin large enough to see all of the material contained inside clearly. Using a small dessert type spoon carefully remove the orange “tongues” (ovaries) from the shell, discarding the other material contained inside. Place the “tongues” onto a piece of kitchen paper and use immediately. Each whole sea urchin should yield enough for 3 portions.

To serve (per portion)
thin slices cooked razor clams
1 reserved Kumamoto oyster
10 g edible “sand” (from above)
level tsp crispy fried shirasu (from above)
ponzu sauce
1 piece of blanched lily bulb
2 g wakame seaweed- reconstituted in warm water, drained, rinsed, and drained
2 g prepared hijiki seaweed
2 g pickled dulce seaweed
sauce base/ finished sauce
trimmed samphire, approximately 5cm (3 pieces per portion)

Arrange each portion of sand in a vertical line onto the plate. Using a rigid card or spatula shape the sand into a parallel line. Toss the lily bulb in the ponzu and place onto the sand resembling a shell on the beach. Toss the wakame in the ponzu and drain on paper towel. Transfer the wakame to the plate and spread out along the edge of the sand. Spread the hijiki out over the sand in the same manner. Place the dulse out along the top of the seaweeds. Drizzle the ponzu onto the seafood pieces and place them on top of the seaweeds. Foam the sauce using a hand blender and spoon around the seafood as the ocean crashing onto the beach. Garnish the dish with three pieces of samphire and drizzle a bit more of the ponzu onto the dish.

Serve with an MP3 player playing “The Sound of the Sea”