Equipment
Ingredients
Clam Aspic
- 400 ml clam juice, cold
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 15 g powdered gelatin
- 50 ml water, cold, for blooming gelatin
Poached Shrimp
- 300 g medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 1 lemon, halved
- 2 g black peppercorns, whole
Sauce Vierge
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 150 g tomato, peeled, seeded, and finely diced (concasse)
- 20 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 g fresh basil, finely chopped
- 3 g fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- 2 g coriander seeds, lightly toasted and crushed
- kosher salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Place cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the powdered gelatin evenly over the surface. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to bloom and hydrate fully.
Bring a pot of water to 70C/158F. Squeeze the lemon halves into the water and drop them in along with the black peppercorns. Gently poach the shrimp until they are just opaque and tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately transfer the shrimp to an ice bath to halt the cooking process. Drain and pat completely dry.
In a clean saucepan, combine the clam juice and white wine. Heat gently over medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Remove from heat immediately, add the bloomed gelatin, and stir gently until completely dissolved. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pouring jug and let it cool to room temperature.
Pour a thin 5mm layer of the cooled clam aspic into the bottom of 6 ramekins. Place the ramekins in the refrigerator and chill until the aspic is semi-set and tacky to the touch, about 30 minutes.
Arrange the chilled, dry shrimp neatly on top of the semi-set aspic layer in each ramekin. Carefully pour the remaining liquid aspic over the shrimp to fully encase them. Return to the refrigerator and chill until completely firm, at least 3 hours.
Prepare the Sauce Vierge. In a mixing bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil, diced tomato concasse, lemon juice, chopped basil, chopped tarragon, and crushed coriander seeds. Season to taste with kosher salt. Allow the sauce to steep at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to marry the flavors.
To serve, briefly dip the outside of each ramekin into hot water for 5 to 10 seconds to loosen the gelatin. Invert a chilled serving plate over the ramekin and flip to unmold the aspic. Spoon the room temperature Sauce Vierge elegantly around the base of the set aspic.
Chef's Notes
- Ensuring your shrimp are completely dry before placing them into the aspic is critical; any residual water will dilute the gelatin localized around the shrimp, preventing a tight seal.
- For the clearest possible aspic, pass your clam juice and wine mixture through a coffee filter or a sieve lined with damp cheesecloth before adding the gelatin.
- Sauce Vierge is best served at room temperature, or even slightly warm. Never serve it straight from the fridge, as the cold mutes the delicate volatile oils in the fresh herbs and olive oil.
- A proper tomato concasse elevates the texture of the Sauce Vierge. Scoring the tomatoes, blanching them for 15 seconds, and shocking them in ice water makes removing the skins effortless.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Keep covered to prevent the aspic from absorbing refrigerator odors.
