Langoustine, a delight right down to the claws
Langoustine is eaten very simply, as is, by shelling it like shrimp, with mayonnaise or vinaigrette. A classic tasting that can be transformed with a sublime chef's recipe, just by preparing langoustines with Ponzu mayonnaise. You can also cook them a la plancha, as a plate of langoustines with cream or even grilling and flambéing the langoustines with vodka. In short, recipe possibilities that are as delicious as they are surprising.
In langoustine, everything is consumed! The proof is in the recipe with this preparation of langoustines sublimated in oil from their own tongs and served under a bed of flowers, herbs and caviar. Enough to get off the beaten track and challenge yourself in the kitchen, thanks to the advice of chef Grégory Garimbay, new chef of the Bellefeuille restaurant, an establishment with one star and one green star in the Michelin guide.
Recipe for langoustine, caviar, herbs and flowers by Grégory Garimbay
List of necessary ingredients
4 live langoustines (3/4 size per kilo)
2l of mineral water
½ yellow lemon from Menton
1 stick of dry fennel
20 g fresh sea lettuce
For the smoked langoustine pâté
The heads of the langoustines
2 shallots
½ fennel bulb
15 g of tomato paste
1 stick of dry fennel
500 g of langoustine broth
Olive oil
To clarify the broth
6 egg whites
25 g of raw lobster coral
25 g of fennel bulb
½ tomato
For the oil from the langoustine claws
Langoustine claws
15 g of tomato paste
50 g grapeseed oil
50g olive oil
For training
40 g of caviar
50 g of Sanbaizu vinegar condiment (available in grocery stores)
Necessary herbs and flowers
15 g of sea chard
10 g of staghorn plantain
8 g of sea samphire
5 g pansy flowers
5 g of marigold flowers
5 g of carnation flowers
5 g of allymis flowers
Recipe sequence:
In a saucepan, pour the mineral water, place the half yellow lemon, the dry fennel stick, the sea lettuce and bring to the boil.
Meanwhile, separate the heads from the bodies of the langoustines. Remove the central gut from the bodies and prick it using a fine needle along the length of the tail to keep them straight during cooking.
Immerse the langoustines in the broth for 30 seconds and then freeze them directly in cold water filled with ice cubes.
Reserve.
Preparation of smoked langoustine pâté:
In a casserole dish over low heat, pour a dash of olive oil, add the shallots cut lengthwise to a thickness of 3 mm as well as the ½ chopped fennel bulb.
While everything is cooking on low power, cut the langoustine heads in the same way as the shallots, and add them. Once everything is slightly caramelized, pour in the tomato paste.
Pour the langoustine broth over the dry fennel until it is fully submerged. Cook the broth for 20 minutes, then pass it through cheesecloth or a mini-filter strainer.
Clarify the broth
Mix the egg whites with the lobster coral, the fennel bulb and half a tomato.
Then proceed to clarify the broth. To do this, pour this mixture all at once, very cold, into the langoustine broth while it is still boiling to create a thermal shock. This will cause the mixture to coagulate.
Then place the pan over low heat, taking care to leave a hole of approximately 6 to 8 cm in this “cake” to allow a slight simmer.
When the impurities and fat from the pâté are trapped in this “cake”, you will notice that it will be clear and slightly amber. Filter it using cheesecloth (or a mini-filter strainer) and a cloth (clean damp cloth), then set aside.
Prepare the oil for the langoustine claws
Cut the claws into thirds and roast them in a frying pan with a dash of olive oil. Over high heat, you will create cooking juices.
Add the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes over low heat, then pour in the grapeseed oil and olive oil.
Place the frying pan in the oven at 180°C for 15 minutes, then leave to infuse for another 15 minutes at room temperature and pass through cheesecloth or a mini-filter strainer.
Reserve.
Cleaning herbs and flowers
Clean the herbs and flowers thoroughly in a bath of clean water, then drain them gently. Reserve them in the refrigerator.
Dressage
In four deep plates, place a quenelle of caviar then the mixture of herbs and flowers.
Gently warm the langoustine tails in a little broth and place one on the plate
Heat the langoustine pâté with a dash of sobaïsu vinegar condiment and pour it into a sauce boat. Lightly heat the oil from the tongs and pour it into a small glass.
Finally, pour the pâté onto the plate and sprinkle the langoustine claws with oil using a pipette.
Serve and enjoy
