Holy Mackerel

Today in Guardian, I read about some of the world's best chefs and their proteges. Heston Blumenthal of Fat Duck talks of Ashley Palmer-Watts' journey in becoming his top chef with fatherly pride. Ashley is now the main chap in Heston's new restaurant Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.

Dinner is not opened yet but they are taking reservations and Heston and Ashley even exposed the recipe of one of the dishes which I thought was quite brave considering how people might now steal his idea but one look at it, made me realise why gourmet meals are gourmet.

Hay-smoked mackerel, lemon salad and gentleman's relish

Come on, it's just salad with some smoked fish and leaves, everyone can do that with eyes closed right?.
I couldn't be more wrong because the recipe reads like a science experiment. This is cooking with OCD precision.

The garlic used in this recipe has to be de-germed first. What does that even mean??

Apparently it means to remove the green sprout bit, I never know my garlic had any.

Anyway here is only an excerpt.

" .......................To make garlic and anchovy sauce, cover garlic with 300ml milk and add a dash of cold water. Bring slowly to a simmer then drain and rinse garlic under cold running water. Return garlic to pan and repeat process three times...." 

"......Weigh garlic and anchovy mix, add 30% of the total weight of mayonnaise, mix well. Refrigerate...."

".....Gut and fillet the mackerel. Run the tip of a sharp filleting knife down either side of the pin bones and bloodline in the centre of each fillet and remove this area by pulling it away with fish tweezers......"

Thanks for the recipe guys but no thanks.