5.) Christopher Rendell Flinders lane NYC – Roasted Glacier 51 Toothfish with Coconut Curry Laksa
Flinders Lane is a true testament to Australian fine dining in New York, drawing on modern Australian and classic Asian approaches and ingredients. Rendell digs deep into his Australian roots, where Asian influence is paramount, as is cooking all ingredients from scratch.
According to the New York City Food and Wine Festival, where he was a guest chef in 2015, Rendell began his professional life in the culinary world at Carmine’s in Melbourne, where executive chef Robert Castellani’s “exacting technique and unflinching demand for perfection helped Rendell refine his own approach and develop the patience required by haute cuisine.”
He then worked at the Rock Pool Group, and then at Paramount in Sydney.
“It was at Paramount that Rendell discovered his love of Asian ingredients, whose vibrancy was such that a handful could be used for everything from a simple sauce to the most complex main course,” according to Rendell's bio.
Inspired to head to Europe, he landed a job in London with Thai food expert David Thompson. Continuing his work with Asian ingredients, Rendell then accepted a job at The Sugar Club. His four years there included his involvement in the opening of The Grocer of Elgin, one of London’s best-known food retailers. His most recent job in London was at the Mews of Mayfair, where the kitchen put out elegant renditions of modern British cooking.
Rendell finally crossed the Atlantic to be a part of the opening team of the award-winning Public & Double Crown in New York City, and most recently opened Whitehall Bar and Kitchen in the heart of West Village, and The Surf Lodge in Montauk, New York.
His Antipodean roots and affinity for Asian cuisine, as well as his refined technique marked Rendell as the natural choice for such a union with business partner, mate and fellow Australian Chris McPherson.
Now, Rendell heads up the kitchen operations at Flinders Lane NYC. Flinders Lane, on Avenue A, is a restaurant that celebrates a unique blend of British-rooted Aussie cuisine with strong Asian undertones. His toothfish creation for StarChefs reflects those many influences.
Roasted Glacier 51 Toothfish with Coconut Curry Laksa (Serves 6)
The spice paste looks intimidating, but it is worth the trouble, as it will take some looking to get all of the ingredients and it will last for months in the refrigerator. The paste can also be simply cooked with some coconut milk as a base for South East Asian curries.
A note from Chris: “We have left the recipe for sambal, a chili “jam,” here just for fun but we don’t expect you to cook this for 3 days- we expect (and encourage!) you to buy a jar of sambal from an Asian supermarket and use that instead. Its cheating, but you have my permission.”
INGREDIENTS
For the Laksa paste:
- 5 Tablespoons Belacan (shrimp paste)
- 3 Tablespoons dried prawns
- 5 dried birds eye chili
- 3 Tablespoons coriander seeds
- 5 red onions- chopped
- 10 clove garlic
- 3 Tablespoons minced lime zest
- 3 stalk lemongrass
- 3 Tablespoons chopped galangal
- 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh turmeric
- 10 red birds eye chili
- 1⁄4 cup candle nuts
- 5 coriander roots
- 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
- 3 Tablespoons curry leaves
- 2 cups vegetable oil
For the broth:
- 1⁄2 cup Laksa paste
- 2 tablespoon sambal
- 2 teaspoon palm sugar
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 cans coconut milk
- 3 cups chicken stock
- Juice of 2 limes
For the Glacier 51 Toothfish:
- 6 6oz portion of Glacier 51 Tooth fish
For the garnish and plating:
- 1 cups fresh bean sprouts
- 1⁄2 cup fresh picked Thai basil
- 1⁄2 cup fresh picked cilantro leaf
- 2 red chili
- finely sliced Crispy shallots
METHOD
For the Laksa paste: Dry roast the Belacan, dried prawns, chilies, and coriander seeds in separate pans- cook over medium heat until fragrant, the allow them to cool. Grind spices to a fine powder in an electric spice grinder, or crush in a mortar and pestle.
Finely chop onions, garlic, lemongrass, turmeric, and bird’s eye chili. Soak dried shrimp/chilies in water for 10 mins. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste.
This will make a quart-which is more than enough for this recipe. Any paste that is not used can be stored in a sterilized screw top jar. Place the paste in the jar and cover with a little oil to prevent oxidization. This will keep up to 2 months in the fridge.
For the broth: Place Laksa paste and chili jam in a heavy based pot cook the for 1-2 mins until fragrant Add the palm sugar and stir until dissolved Add coconut milk and chicken stock; bring to the boil and the simmer for 10 minutes. Season with the fish sauce and lime juice.
For the Glacier 51 Toothfish: Season with salt and pepper. Pre-heat large pan and add a touch of oil. Place fish skin side down and transfer to oven for 6-8 minutes. Once cooked and skin is crispy use metal spatula to remove the fish and place on a kitchen towel.
For the garnish and plating: Place the roasted fish into a shallow bowl. Bring the broth back up to a boil. In a separate mixing bowl place bean sprouts, Thai basil, cilantro, sliced chili and mix together. Divide the broth into the six bowls placing over the fish. Just before serving place the bean sprout salad on top of the broth, finish with a sprinkle of crispy shallots.
Footnote: The secret Sambal Recipe - 1.5 pounds (26 dry oz.) red chili-finely chopped with seeds 1⁄2 pounds (10 dry oz.) red birds eye chili 4 onions-peeled, finely sliced; 7 garlic cloves-sliced; 1.5 cups blended oil 1⁄2 cup tamarind puree 2oz palm sugar-grated 2oz fish sauce. Blend chilies, onions, garlic and oil into to a fine paste in robo-coupe.Place into a non-reactive pot and cook over low heat for approximately 3 days making sure to stir regularly to avoid sticking. The sambal should become a deep red color and the oil should start to appear on the surface. At this stage add the tamarind puree, sugar and fish sauce. Cook for a further 2 hours.
