Char with Beeswax, Yellow Carrot, "Pollen," and Sour Cream

METHOD:

For the Jellied Yellow Carrot Juice:
In a saucepan, bring the carrot juice, apple juice, stock, beeswax, salt, and sugar to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, and saffron and leave to cool at room temperature. When cool remove the layer of wax and pass the liquid through a fine sieve. Whisk in agar agar, boil another 2 minutes, then pour onto a rubber mat with a honeycomb pattern. Refrigerate until set. Cut out 4 circles with a diameter of 75 millimeters.

For the Yellow Carrot Hearts:
Cut the carrots lengthwise to the core and remove the surrounding carrot material so that only the core remains; season and steam until soft. Bring the carrot juice, salt, and wax to a boil; remove from heat and cool at room temperature. When cool remove the layer of wax and pass the liquid through a fine sieve. Add the saffron and the carrot cores, warm slightly, and leave to stand for 10 minutes.

For the Carrot Pollen:
In a bowl, combine pomace, vinegar, salt, and sugar and fold to incorporate ingredients. Spread mixture on a sheet tray in a 5-millimeter thick layer and dry in a dehydrator for 48 hours at 40°C. When dry, grind in a coffee grinder, pass through a sieve and store in an air-tight container.

For the Lime Sour Cream:
In a bowl, whisk together the sour cream, salt, lime juice, and cayenne pepper.

Char in Beeswax:
Heat the beeswax to 84°C. Season the char on each side and lay it skin side up on the silicone mat, inside the wooden frame. Pour the wax over the fish until completely covered. Depending on the thickness of the fish, leave to stand for 12 to 16 minutes. Turn the form over and remove the mat. Carefully break the fish from the wax.

To Assemble and Serve:
Place a Yellow Carrot Heart off-center on a large round plate. Next to it, spoon a small dollop of Lime Sour Cream and drape a circle of Jellied Yellow Carrot Juice on top. Toss half a spoonful of caviar with Carrot Pollen to coat, then cluster the caviar on the edge of the jelly. Place Char next to Yellow Carrot Heart and finish with a few pieces of Basil Cress.