Pickled scallop + pineapple & habanero compote, fermented cucumber & Avruga caviar

Ingredients

  • 8 scallops (sourced from Samtass Seafoods)
  • 2 limes (juice and zest)
  • 50 g sugar
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 sweet pineapple
  • ¼ Tasmanian habanero chilli, sliced thinly
  • 1 shallot
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 5 g fresh grated ginger
  • 30 ml dry white wine or sherry
  • 80 ml fish stock or water
  • ¼ bunch fresh coriander, chopped
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 continental cucumber
  • 100 ml water
  • 40 ml red wine vinegar
  • 30 g brown sugar
  • 10 g sea salt flakes
  • 2 g dill flowers
  • Pinch mustard seeds
  • Pinch coriander seeds
  • Avruga caviar
  • Dill flowers or edible viola flowers

Method

For the scallops

  1. Make a pickle liquid with the lime, zest and sugar.
  2. Marinate the scallops in the liquid for 60 minutes prior to serving
  3. Remove from pickling liquid. Carve into 2-3 slices depending on thickness of the scallops. Season lightly with smoked Lava salt.

For the compote

  1. Dice the pineapple into small cubes.
  2. Brunoise the shallot and garlic.
  3. Sauté the shallots and garlic quickly in olive oil. Add ginger and the fresh pineapple.
  4. Add the chili and deglaze with white wine.
  5. Add fish stock or water and cook gently for 2 minutes.
  6. Leave to cool slightly. Season and add the fresh coriander just before serving.

For the fermented cucumber

  1. Peel and slice the cucumber in 1cm slices.
  2. Sprinkle the salt over the cucumber to draw out the water moisture.
  3. Heat the water, spices and sugar together. Cool down slightly and poor over the cucumber.
  4. Leave for minimum 4 hours to infuse – overnight will yield best flavours.

Serve slices of scallops with the pickled cucumber in between and on top of the pineapple compote. Dollop with a small quenelle of Avruga caviar and garnish with dill flowers or edible viola flowers.

French Earl Grey Madeleines

Ingredients (makes 12)

  • 110g all-purpose flour
  • 2g baking powder
  • 1 large egg
  • 50g butter, melted (for the madeleine mixture)
  • 30g soft butter (for brushing the mould)
  • 90g caster sugar
  • 2 French Earl Grey tea bags (sourced from T BAR) 
  • 40g hot water
  • 1.5 lemons, zested 
  • 300g white Callebaut chocolate with 28% cocoa butter
  • Colouring of your choice 

Method

  1. Pre-heat oven to 175°C.
  2. Use 30g soft butter to brush the madeleine mould, then lightly dust the mould with flour. 
  3. Melt 50g butter in a microwave-safe container and set aside. 
  4. Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside. 
  5. Soak two tea bags in 40g hot water for a few minutes, then remove tea bags and set aside.
  6. Using a whisk, beat the sugar, egg, tea and lemon zest together until all sugar dissolves. 
  7. Add the dry ingredients into wet mixture and slowly whisk until your madeleine batter is smooth, then add melted butter and mix well.
  8. Using a spatula, place batter into a small piping bag (note: if you have time, resting the batter for approximately 2 hours will give you better flavour). 
  9. Carefully pipe your madeleine mixture into the mould.
  10. Lightly tap the mould to flatten the batter and bake them the oven for approximately 8 to 10 minutes.  
  11. Remove madeleines from the mould and allow to cool on a wire rack. 
  1. In a small pot, bring a cup of water to gentle simmer, place 200g chocolate (reserving the other 100g), in a small bowl and gently melt the cholate with colouring of your choice.  
  2. Once the chocolate melts over the water bath, check the temperature of chocolate with a thermometer (it should be between 46°C to 49°C).
  3. As soon as the chocolate reaches the correct temperature, take off the water bath and add remaining 100g chocolate and stir to cool down the temperature at 26°C.
  4. Once chocolate reaches 26°C, put the bowl back on the water bath to bring the temperature up to 28°C (this shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds). Remove from water bath.
  5. With madeleine mould on a tray, pipe the tempered chocolate in the centre of the madeleine mould (about 1 full tablespoon).
  6. Place the baked madeleine cake on top of the chocolate and gently press down to make sure the chocolate covers the back of the cake.
  7. Place the tray in the fridge for about 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.
  8. Remove madeleines from tray and serve.

Le Cordon Bleu Adelaide – Days Road, Regency Park, 08 8348 3000.