CHAR-GRILLED KOKOTXAS AND HAKE CHEEKS, STEWED HAZELNUTS AND GREEN ALLIARIA SAUCE

INGREDIENTS (to serve 4)

For the stewed hazelnuts:
Iberico ham stock
500 gr Iberico ham bones
500 gr water
125 gr onion browned on the griddle
Ham juice
210 gr ham juice
20 gr Palo Cortado sherry
Table salt
Stewed hazelnuts
16 hazelnuts
180 gr ham stock
For the alliaria soup:
Vegetable stock
11 gr garlic, crushed
75 gr carrot, thinly sliced
37 gr turnip, thinly sliced
62 gr leek, thinly sliced
12 gr celeriac, thinly sliced
50 gr onion, thinly sliced
50 gr spring onions, finely chopped (including the green part)
62 gr white wine
500 gr water
6 gr sunflower oil
40 gr chickpeas soaked overnight (obtained from 20 gr dried chickpeas)
1 sprig parsley
Kombu seaweed stock
250 gr vegetable stock
15 gr dried kombu seaweed
Alliaria soup
10 gr chives
10 gr alliaria
250 gr kombu stock
0.5 gr table salt
0.5 gr xanthan gum
Kokotxas and hake cheeks:
32 hake kokotxas
Bilbao sauce
100 gr olive oil
2 gr garlic, crushed
1.2 gr cayenne pepper
5% brine
250 gr water
12 gr sea salt
Hake cheeks in brine
8 hake cheeks
250 gr 5% brine
Char-grilled kokotxas and hake cheeks
32 hake kokotxas
8 hake cheeks
10 gr Bilbao sauce
Table salt

PREPARATION

Ham stock: Cover the bones with cold water and bring to the boil to blanch. Discard the water. Place the blanched bones in a pressure cooker with the water and browned onion and cook over a low heat for 2 hours. Strain, remove any fat and blast chill the stock. Refrigerate until use.
Ham jus: Place the ingredients in a pan and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until use.
Stewed hazelnuts: Place the ingredients in a vacuum pack and seal at maximum vacuum. Place in a steam oven for 30 minutes, then cool at room temperature and refrigerate until use.
Vegetable stock: Place all the vegetables in a pressure cooker and sweat without browning for 10 minutes. Do not brown the vegetables. Add the white wine and reduce until dry. Add the soaked chickpeas and the water. Close and simmer for 45 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to stand. When the pressure cooker can be opened, add the sprig of parsley, cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Strain, chill, remove any fat and refrigerate until use.
Kombu seaweed stock: Place the seaweed with the vegetable stock in a vacuum pack and seal at 100% vacuum. Leave for 30 minutes at room temperature. Then place in a Roner at 60ºC for 45 minutes. Strain the stock.
Alliaria soup: Wash the alliaria leaves and the chives under cold running water. Drain well. Finely chop the chives, and cut the alliaria into julienne strips. Cook the herbs in the Gastrovac together with the kombu seaweed stock at 55ºC for 15 minutes, starting from when the desired temperature is reached. Transfer to a metal container and submerge in a bowl of iced water. Blend for 1 minute. Strain through a fine strainer, bind with the xanthan gum, remove any air using the vacuum packing machine and transfer in measured portions to small containers. Chill until use. Kokotxas: Wash the kokotxas, leaving the stem intact. Wrap in a damp cloth and refrigerate.
Bilbao sauce: Cook all the ingredients over a low heat until all the flavours have blended then leave to stand and strain. Set aside.
Brine: Place the water and salt in a container. Blend to dissolve the salt. Transfer to an airtight container until use.
Hake cheeks in brine: Place the cheeks in brine for 30 seconds. Drain on blotting paper.
Char-grilled kokotxas and cheeks: Brush the cheeks and kokotxas with the Bilbao sauce and grill over red-hot oak coals. Season with salt.

TO SERVE

Char-grill the kokotxas and cheeks. Heat the hazelnuts in a steam oven at 100ºC. Heat the alliaria soup in the Roner oven at 55ºC. Serve the alliaria soup and arrange the cheeks in it with the kokotxas on top. Finish with the stewed hazelnuts.