Seared scallops, aubergine caviar, toasted almonds, spinach and saffron air

This was the first course for our very first Pop up Belfast, set in the decaying structure of the Titanic drawing rooms.

We wanted to make an impression with this course because it was to lead the way into this unique dining experience and let the customers (who had followed and trusted us in this secret event), know that they were in for a something completely different throughout the night. The saffron air was proably the most asked question when people where talking about the Pop up Belfast menu. What is saffron air???? They would say confused. Well the saffron air was to be a dramatic effect with dried seaweed, saffron and dry ice put into a bucket. When the tray arrived at the table boiling water was added and a stream of air engulfed the table, bringing with it the smells of seaweed and saffron, an effect that I think worked really well and got the crowd talking.

The recipes created for pop up Belfast are not straight forward and are not the easiest things to create at home, but I really wanted to add these recipes to the blog, just encase anyone on the night might like to recreate this experience at home.

Ingredients;

For the aubergine caviar;

2 aubergines

2 cloves of garlic cut in half

4 sprigs of thyme

1tblsp olive oil

Maldon salt and cracked black pepper to taste

1 red pepper, roasted, skinned and deseeded

Juice from ¼ of a lemon

4 large leaves of basil very finely sliced

For the saffron foam;

5kg of fish bones, soaked in cold water and guiles removed

5ltrs of cold water

2 onions, diced

2 leeks, diced white part only

2 sticks of celery diced

12 white peppercorns

4 bay leaves

1btl white wine

50g mixed chervil, parsley, tarragon and coriander

1 onion finely diced

2 cloves garlic crushed

200ml white wine

200ml Noilly prat

250ml double cream

1tsp saffron

 

For the toasted almonds;

1tblsp almond flakes

For the scallops;

10 medium Irish scallops, White meat only, trimmed off all coral

Salt and pepper to taste

1tblsp olive oil

25g butter

Squeeze of lemon

For the spinach;

50g spinach, washed and picked

10g butter

To serve;

Cream gun with 2 gas canisters

Seaweed and netting

1 Wine bucket

100g Dried seaweed

1tsp Saffron

200g dry ice

Method;

For the aubergine caviar;

Pre heat an oven to 200c.

Slice the aubergines in two lengthways, and then score the flesh with the tip of your knife in a criss-cross pattern. Rub the garlic halves over the scored sides of the aubergines and stud two halves with sprigs of thyme. Drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle with Maldon salt and pepper. Sandwich together, with the garlic halves, and wrap tightly in foil to resemble a Christmas cracker. Repeat with the other two halves. Place on a roasting tray and bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
Remove the foil from the aubergines, discard the herbs and scrape the flesh and garlic on to a chopping board. Chop to a coarse paste.

Finely chop the red pepper and add to the aubergine. Add lemon juice and basil and adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside ready for service.

For the saffron foam;

In a large pan sweat the vegetables over medium heat until translucent. Add the peppercorns and bay leaves and pour in the wine, reduce until almost evaporated. Add the bones and herbs and cover with water, bring to the boil and reduce heat to a very gentle simmer. Simmer for 20mins, remove from the heat and allow to settle for at least 2hours. Skim the stock well and ladle the stock through a muslin lined sieve. Try not to disturb the bones to much as this will make the stock cloudy. Do not be tempted to try and get all the liquid from the pan. At this point the stock for the pop up Belfast would have been reduced by half and put over fresh fish bones and repeated one more time. This will add a very deep flavour to the sauce and also adds natural gelatine to help hold the final foam.

For a simpler version at home reduce by half and add two softened gelatine leaves.

Cool and store in the fridge over night. The next day remove all the fat from the surface of the stock.

Place a medium sized pan over high heat and add the oil. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until translucent, add the white wine and reduce until almost all has evaporated. Add the Noilly Prat and reduce to ¼ its volume. Add the fish stock and reduce by ¾. Add the cream and bring to the boil, turn the heat to a simmer and continue to simmer for 5mins. Remove from the heat, add the saffron and keep warm.

For the toasted almonds;

Place the almonds in a heavy, ungreased non stick pan. Place the pan over a gentle heat and stir often until golden brown, remove from the heat and allow to cool. When cool store in an airtight container ready for service.

For the scallops;

Place a large none stick frying pan over high heat. Add a little olive oil. When the oil is hot, season the scallops with salt and pepper and panfry over high heat for 1½ minutes. This should give the scallops a lovely golden caramelised surface. Turn the scallops over and add the butter. Allow the butter to melt and spoon the butter all over the scallops; cook for a further 45seconds or until just cooked through and no more. Add a squeeze of lemon and remove from the heat and keep warm.

For the spinach;

Cook spinach on medium heat with 5g butter in a small pan. When the spinach has just wilted remove from the pan and place on a clean kitchen towel. Remove as much moisture as possible, season to taste, keep warm and set aside.

To serve;

Prepare a large tray with some seaweed and netting, leaving a space for the wine bucket and the water jug. Warm the scallop’s shells and place on top of the seaweed.

Place a little of the spinach into the bottom of each shell. Warm the aubergine caviar and place on top of the spinach. Place a scallop on top of each shell.

Pour the warm saffron velouté into a cream gun. Add two gas canisters to the gun to create the foam.

Point the cream gun at the scallops and cover the scallops with the foam.

Place the wine bucket onto the tray and add the dried seaweed and dry ice. Place a water jug filled with boiling water at the bottom of the tray and carry the tray to the table.

Pour the boiling water into the wine bucket and this will release the air all over the table.