White Tea-Cured Hamachi
Celery Broth, Compressed Celery, Tarragon Aïoli, Nasturtium Flowers, Citron Olive Oil
Chef Austin Waiter of The Marigold Club | Houston, TX
Adapted by StarChefs | September 2025 | Photo: Will Blunt
INGREDIENTS
Tarragon Aïoli:
400 grams tarragon
20 grams parsley
5 grams oregano
40 grams garlic oil
10 grams garlic
80 grams egg yolks
600 grams grapeseed oil
Garlic Confit:
2½ kilograms grapeseed oil
2.267 kilograms garlic
Celery Broth:
Yield: 1.08 kilograms
1.275 kilograms peeled cucumber
1.275 kilograms celery
300 grams lime juice
120 grams dry vermouth
75 grams seaweed vinegar
30 grams honey
30 grams lemon juice
24 grams kosher salt
3 grams ground Kampot peppercorns
Kieselsol
Pectin X
Compressed Celery:
50 grams yuzu oil
5 grams lemon zest
100 grams celery, cut on a bias into ⅛-inch thick slices
White Tea-Cured Hamachi:
200 grams kosher salt
200 grams granulated sugar
25 grams white tea
Hamachi fillet
To Assemble and Serve:
Maldon salt
Nasturtium flowers
Citron olive oil
METHOD
For the Tarragon Aïoli:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch herbs and immediately shock in ice bath. Squeeze out excess water. Once dried, transfer to a Vitamix Commercial blender. Add garlic oil and garlic. Purée until smooth. Transfer mixture to a food processor. Add egg yolks and process until smooth. With the machine running on low, slowly stream in grapeseed oil, mixing until fully emulsified. Transfer to an squeeze bottle and refrigerate.
For the Garlic Confit:
In a pot over medium-high heat, add oil and garlic. Cook 1 hour, or until garlic is caramelized. Transfer to an airtight container and reserve.
For the Celery Broth:
In a Vitamix Commercial blender, combine cucumber, celery, lime, vermouth, vinegar, honey, lemon, salt, and desired amount Garlic Confit. Strain through cheesecloth. Weigh mixture. Stir in 0.4-percent Kieselsol and 0.2-percent Pectin X by weight of mixture. Let sit 2 hours at room temperature. Once mixture has separated, strain into a nonreactive container and reserve.
For the Compressed Celery:
In a vacuum bag, combine yuzu oil, lemon zest, and celery. Seal and refrigerate.
For the White Tea-Cured Hamachi:
In a shallow baking dish, combine salt, sugar, and white tea. Add fish and season on all sides. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes. Rinse fish under cold water to remove cure. Slice in ⅛-inch thick slices. Set aside.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a pot over low heat, warm Celery Broth. In a shallow serving bowl, spread 1 thick line Tarragon Aioli. Shingle White Tea-Cured Hamachi over top. Dot plate with desired amount Tarragon Aïoli. Season with salt. Garnish with nasturtium flowers and Compressed Celery. Tableside, pour Celery Broth and finish with drizzle oil.
