• Place the side of barramundi skin-side down on a chopping board. Trim ends off to form one 10-12cm piece cut from the centre. (You can reserve these trimmings for a fish mousse.) Using a long sharp knife, make an incision down the centre of the fillet, about 4cm from one end, taking care not to cut through the skin. Slice off the larger fillet and set aside, leaving the flap of skin attached to the smaller fillet. Clean up the skin using your knife, shaving off any excess flesh so you are left with a fillet attached to a larger piece of skin - you will wrap this skin around the fish. Trim away the vein and any darker flesh from the edge of the fillet, then set your fillet aside.
• Trim the ends off the lamb backstrap to form a 10-12cm fillet. Use a barrel-cutting technique to cut a 4cm-wide cylinder from the backstrap that will fit neatly next to the fish fillet on the skin. You want the lamb fillet to be the same size as the piece of fish.
• Place the meat glue in a sieve, taking care not to get any on your fingers, then lightly dust the fish and fish skin with meat glue, covering the whole surface. Place the barrel of lamb snugly next to the fish on top of the skin, then roll up to form a cylinder.
• Enclose tightly in plastic wrap to form a neat cylinder, then place in the fridge for 1½ hours to set.

The shiitake mushroom sauce

• In a wide saucepan place button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and the soaking liquid, eschalots, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, wine, Madeira and stocks. Place over medium-high heat and bring to the boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 45 minutes until a deep flavour and colour has developed.
• Strain through a sieve into a small saucepan. Return to the heat and reduce until you have a syrupy glaze.
• Meanwhile, remove the barramundi parcel from the fridge. Unwrap, trim a thin slice off each end to neaten, then cut the fillet in half. Make a tiny incision in the top of the skin in the middle. Sprinkle with salt.
• Heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and fry the parcel for 3-4 minutes, turning, until crisp on all sides – you want the lamb to be rose-coloured and the fish to be opaque.
• Add the butter and thyme to the pan. Allow the butter to melt, then remove from the heat and baste the parcel in the butter. Allow to rest for a few minutes
• Place a cleaned bone from a lamb cutlet into the incision so the parcel looks like a cutlet, with the bone sticking out the top.
• Add the whipped cream to the mushroom glaze and swirl the pan until combined and you have a nice fluffy consistency.
• To serve, place a lamb barramundi cutlet and hash brown in the bowl, pour a little mushroom sauce into the bottom of the bowl, then garnish with a little parsley cress.
• • Meat glue is available from wholesale butchers. Take care when using – avoid contact with skin. Serves 2

Hash Browns

• Preheat oven to 180°C. Place potatoes on a bed of rock salt in a small roasting tray. Bake for 45 minutes until just starting to soften but are still firm enough to retain their shape (you can reuse the rock salt three or four times for a similar purpose).
• Peel potatoes using a small paring knife. Coarsely grate potatoes using long strokes on the grater – you want nice long strands of firm, nearly cooked potato. Season with a few grinds of salt (you could also add herbs such as dill or parsley, sautéed onion or bacon).
• Dip a ring mould in a bowl of water (we used a 4cm x 6cm mould). Fill the mould with grated potato and pat down to fill the mould and create a bit of tension – this will prevent it breaking up when it goes in the fryer. Tap the potato out of the mould onto a tray. Chill in the fridge to help maintain shape.
• Heat oil in a deep fryer to 180°C. Gently lower hash browns into the fryer, then cook for 3-5 minutes until golden and cooked through. Lift the basket out of the fryer and allow to drain for a few minutes. Sprinkle with salt.