Ingredients
Serves 4Mussel and Saffron Soup
20 ml olive oil
2 large eschallots, diced
2 stalks parsley, roughly chopped
2 stalks dill, roughly chopped
2 sprigs thyme, roughly chopped
100 ml white wine
1 kg mussels
Soup ingredients
50g butter
1 x leek, finely sliced white only
4 eschallots, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 potato, peeled and sliced
2 pinches saffron
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 litre chicken stock
100 ml cream
1 lemon
salt and pepper
½ bunch coriander, shredded
Rouille ingredients
1 potato
1 pinch saffron
1 egg yolk
10 ml chardonnay vinegar
5 g Dijon mustard
½ lemon, juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
125 g grapeseed oil
125 g olive oil
100 g sour dough baguette
Ceviche of Snapper
400 g snapper fillets
1 lime
1 chilli
2 baby fennel
2 blood oranges, segmented
½ bunch dill, finely chopped
10 ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Baby coriander, picked
Method
Mussel and Saffron Soup
Pre heat the oven to 180°C.
To prepare the mussels, heat the olive oil in a saucepan on a high heat and when hot, add in the eschallots, parsley, dill and thyme. Cook for 1 minute then add the white wine and mussels. Cover with a lid then cook for 3 – 4 mins on high until the mussels start to open. Remove the saucepan from the heat then take the mussels out of the cooking liquid. Retain the cooking liquid and strain through a fine sieve then set aside. Remove the mussels from their shells, discard the shells then set aside.
To prepare the soup, heat the butter in a large saucepan or stock pot on a low heat and when hot add the leek, eschallots and garlic. Gently cook for 3 to 4 minutes until they are tender but not coloured. Add in the potato, saffron, and curry powder then cook for a further minute. Add in the cooking liquid from the mussels and the chicken stock then bring to boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Transfer the soup to a blender, blend until smooth then pass through a fine sieve. Stir through the cream until combined then add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
To prepare the rouille, place the potato on a tray and bake in the oven for 1 hour or until tender. Scoop out the flesh then pass through a fine sieve to make a purée. Place the saffron into a small saucepan with 20 ml of water, bring to the boil, remove from the heat then leave to infuse. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, chardonnay vinegar, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and garlic together until combined, then, while continuing to whisk, slowly add in the grapeseed oil and then the olive oil in a steady stream until the oil is incorporated. Whisk in the potato purée and the saffron water, season with salt and pepper then pass through a fine sieve. Set aside until required.
Slice the baguettes in to 5 mm slices then arrange on a baking tray. Drizzle over the olive oil then place in the oven to cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
To serve, reheat the soup and when hot, whisk in half of the rouille. Stir in half of the mussels then transfer into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the shredded coriander. Place a teaspoon of the remaining rouille on to each of the croutons then place a mussel on top of each. Serve as a garnish on the side of the soup.
Ceviche of Snapper with Baby Fennel and Blood Orange Salad
To prepare the snapper, using a sharp knife remove the skin and all of the bones. Slice the snapper into thin slices then lay flat on a serving plate. Season with salt and pepper, squeeze the lime juice over the snapper then grate the zest over the top. Leave to marinate for 5 minutes.
Cut the chilli in half, remove the seeds then finely dice. Sprinkle the diced chilli over the snapper.
Finely shave the fennel into a bowl. Add the blood orange segments and dill then mix together until combined.
To serve, arrange the salad in the centre of the plate then lay the snapper slices on top. Sprinkle the picked coriander on to the fish, drizzle the olive oil over the top then serve.