Red prawn, cuttlefish and sea lettuce

Not yet rated

Gaetano Trovato showcases the beauty of seafood in this sophisticated starter. Combining red prawn with the bold aesthetic of cuttlefish ink, this dish is not only visually impactive but bursting with fresh flavours. Technically not a fish, the cuttlefish is a cephalopod and is closely related to the squid and octopus, evidenced by its dense and soft texture.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Cuttlefish roll

  • 4 cuttlefish, each weighing 200g
  • 20g of cream
  • salt to taste
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 red prawns, large. minus carapace, head and intestine
  • 50g of sea lettuce, washed and dried

Cuttlefish ink sauce

  • 1 shallot, julienned
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • potatoes, small and thinly sliced
  • 30g of parsley
  • white wine, one glass
  • 200g of fish stock

Prawn wafer

  • 4 red prawns, large, minus carapace, head and intestine
  • lemon, zest only
  • 10g of chives, chopped
  • salt, to taste
  • 20ml of olive oil
  • 10g of mascarpone cream cheese
  • 25g of unsalted butter
  • 25g of icing sugar
  • 25g of flour
  • 25g of egg white
  • black sesame seeds, to taste
  • fleur de sel, to taste

Fried prawns

  • 8 red prawns, large and minus carapace, head and intestine
  • olive oil
  • salt, to taste

Sea lettuce

  • 50g of sea lettuce
  • 25ml of rapeseed oil

Equipment

  • Silpat mat
  • Blender
  • Steam oven or steamer

Method

1
For the cuttlefish roll, clean the cuttlefish and set the ink aside for later use. Cut the cuttlefish into small pieces and mix in a bowl with the cream, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil
  • 20g of cream
  • salt to taste
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cuttlefish, each weighing 200g
2
Spread flat onto a tray and put the mixture in the freezer until it is completely frozen
3
Once you have a solid and hard block, break it into small pieces and blend it in a food processor until it is white and fluffy. Spread out the mixture into a 1cm thick rectangle on a layer of cling film
4
If you have one, preheat a steam oven to 70°C
5
Make two shallow x cuts on the back of each prawn to prevent curling. Place the prawns in a line in the centre of the rectangle of cuttlefish mousse and then roll up so that the prawns are in the middle
  • 2 red prawns, large. minus carapace, head and intestine
  • 50g of sea lettuce, washed and dried
6
Tie the ends of the cling film tightly in a knot and steam in the oven for 40 minutes. Alternatively, place it in a pan with boiling water, turn the heat off and cook for 15 minutes. Cool quickly in iced water, remove the cling film and roll the sea lettuce over the entire length of the roll
7
For the cuttlefish ink sauce, sauté the shallots, garlic, potato and parsley in a small saucepan. Once they are well-cooked, remove from the heat and add the cuttlefish ink, white wine and fish stock. Blitz the mixture in blender and adjust the consistency with a little stock if necessary
  • 1 shallot, julienned
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • potatoes, small and thinly sliced
  • 30g of parsley
  • white wine, one glass
  • 200g of fish stock
8
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
9
For the prawn wafer, blanch 4 prawns in salted boiling water for 1 minute and then cool them in iced water. Finely chop the prawns and season with lemon, chives, salt, oil and mascarpone
  • 4 red prawns, large, minus carapace, head and intestine
  • lemon, zest only
  • 10g of chives, chopped
  • salt, to taste
  • 20ml of olive oil
  • 10g of mascarpone cream cheese
10
Beat the butter and the icing sugar with an electric mixer. Add the egg whites then the flour until combined, then spread the mixture into wafers of 3x7cm and 2mm high on a silpat mat. Sprinkle with black sesame and some fleur de sel and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Once cooked, leave to cool then spread the prawn mixture between the two wafers. Cover the edges with some more black sesame
  • 25g of unsalted butter
  • 25g of icing sugar
  • 25g of flour
  • 25g of egg white
  • black sesame seeds, to taste
  • fleur de sel, to taste
11
For the prawns, insert a wooden skewer inside the prawns and make some x cuts on the back of each prawn to prevent curling. Fry the prawns in a pan with the oil for 1 minute per side and season with salt
  • 8 red prawns, large and minus carapace, head and intestine
  • olive oil
  • salt, to taste
12
To finish the dish, fry the sea lettuce in rapeseed oil until crispy. Pour some cuttlefish ink sauce onto the centre of a plate, place a portion of the cuttlefish roll and the roasted prawn on top. Place the prawn wafer on a side of the plate and garnish with the crispy sea lettuce
  • 50g of sea lettuce
  • 25ml of rapeseed oil

Gaetano Trovato places regional ingredients of the highest possible quality at the centre of his cuisine, crafting modern dishes with respect for the great culinary traditions of Italy.

Get in touch

Please sign in or register to send a comment to Great British Chefs.

You may also like

Load more