Sautéd scallops with a croquette of crab, ceviche of vegetables, leek purée and crab sauce, by Freddie Forster
Ingredients
(Serves 4)
For the ceviche of vegetables
250g mange-tout
1/2tsp sliced coriander leaves
1/4tsp chopped hot red chilli without seeds
2 spring onions
1tsp sliced cucumber without skin and seeds
2tsp olive oil
1tsp lemon juice
For the leek purée
500g leeks
50g butter
200ml water
For the crab sauce
500g crab shell
1 stick lemon grass
10g ginger, peeled and diced
20ml white wine
500ml fish stock
50ml double cream
Salt, to taste
25g butter
3tsp olive oil
For the crab croquettes
3tbs double cream
1tsp lime juice
100g white crab meat
1tsp chopped chervil
1tsp chopped chives
Salt and pepper, to taste
200g plain flour
200g breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
Vegetable oil for deep frying
For the scallops 6 king scallops, coral removed
Method
To make the vegetable ceviche, slice the mange-tout and spring onions thinly lengthways, combine with the rest of the ingredients and season.
To prepare the leek purée, chop the leeks and sweat in butter. When soft, add the water and evaporate on a low heat. Season and purée in blender.
For the crab sauce, sweat the crab shells with the lemon grass and ginger to extract flavour, add the white wine and reduce to a glaze. Add the fish stock, simmer for 20 minutes, pass, return to the pan and reduce by half. Add the cream, season and pass again, whisk in the butter and add a small amount of olive oil to gain a vinaigrette consistency.
To make the crab croquettes, reduce the cream by two- thirds over a low heat and combine with lime juice, white crab meat chervil and chives. Season, shape into 12 small cylinders and dredge in the flour, then dip in the beaten egg and coat in breadcrumbs. Fry over a medium heat until cooked through and golden.
For the scallops, slice in half and flash fry. To arrange, place three crab croquettes on the plate, top with scallops and vegetable ceviche, dress with small dollops of leek purée and dot the plate with the crab sauce.
