.
………
ann_oliver
COPYRIGHT © TEXT AND IMAGES ANN OLIVER 2024 UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED
Menu
Scallop
or
Prawn with Cucumber
Wasabi
Avocado Mayonnaise
Wasabi Cucumber Sorbet
Thai
Basil Oil
I would love to be able to say this wonderful concoction was entirely my own inspiration, however, it is a dish eaten twenty years ago at Jean Georges Shanghai, the cleverness of chef Eric Johnson. There have been a lot of good dishes since then, but the clean, deliciousness and cleverness of his dish has always been in my mind. I should have just asked for the recipe because it’s taken a month to get close to his perfect combination and right balance of textures and flavours.
This is not for the faint hearted cook and very labour intensive for the professional cook, but for the cook who happily puts a day aside to make something so delicious and so complex for their guests.
It’s an expensive dish to make, so maybe for a special occasion, a special celebration or just the joy of being with friends.
Interesting to note that S&B prepared wasabi [43g tube], is now available gluten free…click here
AO 19 MARCH 2024
APPROPRIATE APPRECIATION, IS THAT A LICK OR A THUMB SCRAPE?
Serves 6…cold entrée
for the
prawns or Scallops
18 U8 South Australian King Prawns…FROZEN do not buy thawed prawns [1]
OR
24 Western Australian Shark Bay [large] scallops, roe off in the shell….FROZEN do not buy thawed scallops [2]
marinade for the prawns or scallops
30g peanut or vegetable oil
1g sesame oil
10g mirin
5g ginger garlic
Mix everything together.
to prepare the seafood
for prawns
Keep the prawns frozen until the day before. Put into the fridge late the night before you want to make the dish. First thing in the morning break off the heads while they are still frozen and return them to the freezer.
Mix together 2L water and 70g sea salt and thaw the prawns watching carefully it will take about 30 minutes for them to thaw. Shell and devein…put both into the compost. Pat the prawns dry on paper towel. Toss them through the marinade and return to the fridge.
for scallops
[this only applies to the Western Australian scallops…instructions for any other are not supplied]
Keep the scallops frozen until the day. Take them from the freezer, lay them in a single layer and set a timer for 30 minutes. When the timer goes using a butter knife [similar to pictured] gently ease the scallops from the shell into the marinade. Using a silicon spatula gently toss the scallops over and return them to the fridge.
Wash the shells under cold running water, dry with paper towel, bag them and return them to the fridge.
for the rest
cook’s note : I have made this both with cucumbers from my garden and shop Lebanese cucumbers. Our cumcumbers are a bit spikey on the outside and need to be peeled. If using prickly cucumbers you’ll need to forgo that little bit of colouring skin in the sorbet.
Please note everything marked *is best made the day before as this makes plating super easy.
for the cucumber*
6 firm Lebanese cucuumbers, peeled, seeded and julienned
50g Leonardi white balsamic
2g Maldon sea salt [a pinch]
1g freshly and finely ground white pepper
Mix everything together, put in an airtight container and refrigerate.
for the
cucumber wasabi sorbet*
200g peeled and seeded Lebanese cucumber …if you can include in the weight 25g peel
2g Maldon
40g Leonardi white balsamic
20g sugar
1 tube S&B prepared wasabi [43g now available gluten free…hard to find in Adelaide]
100g ice
required equipment
a 50ml syringe
1 x 24mm half sphere silicon [this will only use half of the sorbet….. freeze the rest for next time]
I am waiting on delivery of a 10mm sphere mould…..stay tuned
In your Nutri Bullet or similar blitz everything but the ice. Add the ice and blitz until smooth., syringe or pour into the moulds and freeze.
for the
avocado wasabi mayonnaise*
3 COLD egg yolks
15g smooth French mustard
105g EVO – chilled
105g corn oil – chilled
75g fresh strained lemon juice
140g avocado flesh
2g fine sea salt
1g freshly and finely ground white pepper
1 tube S&B prepared wasabi [43g now available gluten free…hard to find in Adelaide]
required equipment
Bamix, with puréeing attachment
5mm round piping nozzle
disposable piping bag
small bag clip, + large if you don’t have a vac machine
Weigh everything into a jug and blend until fully combined and thick. Insert the nozzle into the piping bag and clamp the front. Scrape the mayonnaise into the bag and seal. Refrigerate.
white onion*
1 x 200g white onion peeled and very finely chopped
50g Leonardi white balsamic
white pepper, freshly and finely ground
Mix everything together, put into an airtight container and refrigerate.
thai basil oil*
75g vegetable oil
25g EVO
pinch of Maldon
15g caster sugar
10g Leonardi white balsamic
3g Thai basil leaves no stems
required equipment
sauce bottle 2mm nozzle
Weigh everything into your Nutri Bullet or similar blitz until very smooth and emulsified. Pour into the sauce bottle and refrigerate.
other bits*
2 teaspoons roughly roasted wasabi flavoured sesame seeds – you may like to share with someone they are only available by the kilo.
putting it together
Pre heat oven to 200°C
Cover a lipped baking sheet with baking paper. Take the seafood straight from the fridge and ay it out on the baking sheet.
Put it in the oven and set a timer for 7 minutes for the prawns and 5 minutes for the scallops, when the timer goes, take the tray from the oven, stand it on a rack and allow to come up to room temperature.
cook’s note : I have previously done the prawn dish but no plating images…use your imagination following some of the details from the scallops or just do your own thing!!!
Pop the wasabi sorbet out of the mould and return them to the freezer.
Lay your plates out and taking them straight from the fridge put four scallop shells on each plate. Put a small dot of the basil oil in the centre of each shell and then add about a half teaspoon of the white onion on top. Using tongs place a scallop on top and season very lightly with Maldon. Again using tweezers and draining it well put a small pile of the julienned cucumber on top.
WITH PRAWN THE FIRST ATTEMPT WHERE I INCLUDED WASABI CUCUMBER JELLY, BUT DECIDED IT WAS NOT REQUIRED…ALSO FORGOT TO ADD THE SPRINKLING OF WASABI ROASTED SESAME SEEDS. BOWLS ARE ANTIQUE HAND-PAINTED JAPANESE….AN EXQUISITE GIFT FROM YM FRIEND DI HETZEL. AO
Put a decent dab of wasabi mayonnaise to one side [a generous teaspoon full, then a couple more drops of the basil oil on top. Sprinkle the roasted wasabi flavoured sesame seeds on top and immediately before serving add either a half sphere or two 10mm spheres of the wasabi sorbet and serve immediately.
[1] If you want to eat good prawns you have to stump up. There is no such thing as a cheap good South Australian Gulf prawn., and the best time to eat them is about now. The season is short often last week in December and first couple in January and frozen at sea with the latest freezing technology they are still really good. However, we love to use them early in their frozen shelf life so for about three months February, March and April maybe just pull in May.
It drives me crazy to watch anyone, particularly professional cooks to chuck heads and shell in the bin. If you follow the instructions above, and not allow them to thaw, or freeze fresh crab and crayfish shell you can have a whole other fabulous dish and help the bottom line.
[2] Since we have been unable to procure live scallops, apart from Paul Polacco, we have done a lot of testing with frozen scallops. Unfortunately, Paul’s schedule does not always fit with ours. Most of the Japanese scallops, regardless of price or how carefully they are thawed lose anything from 30-50% of their weight. Add to that they often come with freezer damage and it is possible to think that sometimes the cold chain has not been perfect.
These Western Australian, Shark Bay scallops are brilliant. Clearly frozen with the latest freezer technology the lose absolutely no weight. And before you complain about the price you have to pay for quality. Plus why do you never see dishes like these on a restaurant menu…4 large scallops wholesale price $12 AUD before you start embellishments…so my dish if I multiply by four would have to be $60+ AUD per person in a restaurant and even so this is pub costing.
PICTURED ABOVE REALLY FABULOUSLY FRESH MULLOWAY FRIDAY 15 MARCH 2024
MULLOWAY CAN BE A BIT WATERY/MUSHIE AND I LIKE TO MAKE A MIX OF EQUAL SALT AND SUGAR, BLITZ IT FINE. SCATTER THE BOTTOM OF YOUR TRAY WITH A VERY THIN LAYER OF THE CURE, LAY THE FISH DOWN AND SCATTER THINLY ON THE TOP. RUBB IT IN WITH GLOVED HANDS AND REFRIGERATE FOR 20 MINUTES 10 MM THICK AND 40 FOR 20-30 MM THICK. WHEN THE TIME GOES USING A CLEAN TEA TOWEL BRUSH OFF THE CURE AND RETURN TO FRIDGE UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO USE. DO NOT WASH THE FISH! GO LIGHT ON SALT WHEN COOKING.
"
love your local
FINDING A
FISH MONGER
I have been using Atlanta Oyster and Seafood for fish, oysters [in season] and prawns for more than 30 years and now laterly the Western Australian, Shark Bay, large scallops in the half shell. In that time I have only had one missing oyster in the count and one rotten oyster, all in thousands of dozens of oysters. I have not used Tasmanian salmon for years and think seeing it on menus is an indication that the chef needs to think again.
Trusting your fish monger or butcher is a hard thing, but over the years we have found an understanding. Doesn’t mean I don’t still check it…but I have tried and dumped dozens of other fish mongers in that time. If they tell me I will be happy I take their advice.
ABOUT
We have 42 years history at the highest level
in the food and wine industry and the passion for our craft remains undiminished…
read more
ON cuisine-extreme
- People
- Kaaren Palmer Champagne
- Recipes
- News and Events
NEWSLETTER
Subscribe to our newsletter
to get the latest news, tips, and advice.
to get the latest news, tips, and advice.