To start with:
24 Oysters - Huîtres fines de claires - Marennes Oléron - n° 2
2 Sea Urchins
toasty baguette
and then:
Baccala on toasty baguette
Venetian Seafood Salad
To finish:
Lobster and Mascarpone Ravioli
The Baccala recipe i'm going to use is from epicurious:
- 1 1/2 pound choice-grade skinless boneless salt cod, rinsed well
- 1 1/2 quart water
- 3 celery ribs, thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup small pimiento-stuffed green olives, chopped
- 1/4 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup small fresh basil leaves
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Drain cod and transfer to a 5- to 6-quart pot with 1 1/2 quarts water. Bring just to a simmer and remove from heat. (Cod will just flake; do not boil or it will become tough.) Gently transfer cod with a slotted spoon to a platter to cool slightly.
Shred cod and stir together with celery, garlic, olives, parsley, and basil.
Stir together lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, and oil, then pour over salad, tossing to coat well. Season with pepper and chill, covered, at least 1 1/2 hours for flavors to develop.
The Venetian seafood salad recipe is from The Food Network
Ingredients
For the seafood and poaching liquid:
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 small onion, halved
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 1 teaspoon kosher sald
- 2 quarts water
- 1 pound cleaned calamari, cut into 1-inch-thick rings
- 1/2 pound sea or bay scallops, foot removed
- 1 pound medium to large shrimp
- 1 pound octopus
For the salad:
- 1 cup julienned tender celery
- 1 cup julienned carrots
- 1/2 cup seeded and julienned red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup seeded and julienned yellow bell pepper
- 1 scallion (white part only), julienned
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons) or lime juice (about 3 limes)
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 to 8 cups baby lettuce
Directions: To poach the seafood, you will need a large saucepan fitted with a colander insert. In the bottom of the pan, combine the celery, carrot, onion, bay leaf, lemon juice, salt, and water. Bring to a boil. Place the calamari in the colander and cook in the simmering water for 2 minutes. Remove from the water, transfer to a large bowl, and set aside. Place the scallops in the colander and cook until opaque, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the water and transfer to the bowl with the calamari (large sea scallops may be cut in half horizontally after cooking; bay scallops may be left whole). Place the shrimp in the colander and cook until pink, about 3 minutes. Remove from the water. Peel, devein, and cut in half horizontally, adding them to the bowl with the calamari and scallops.
Remove the colander from the pan and place the octopus directly in the saucepan, adding more water if necessary to completely cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and gently simmer until tender, about 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer the octopus to a bowl and rinse under cold running water until octopus is completely cooled, about 5 minutes. Use your fingers and a small paring knife to remove the outer skin. Discard the hard mouth and head sac. Cut the tentacles and octopus on the bias into 1-inch pieces and add to the bowl with the other seafood.
To prepare the salad, toss the julienned celery, carrots, bell peppers, scallion, parsley, basil, and garlic together in a serving bowl. Add the seafood and toss. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil and toss well. Season with the salt and generous grindings of pepper. Arrange 1 cup of lettuce on each serving plate. Top with equal portions of the seafood and vegetable mixture, and serve immediately.
Variations: 6 to 8 steamed mussels may be added to the basic recipe and tossed with the other seafood. To extend the recipe and add a new texture dimension, 1/2 cup cubed, peeled, cooked Idaho potatoes and/or 1/2 cup cooked or canned (drained and rinsed) cannelini beans may be added to the basic recipe. Although it isn't traditional, I like this salad with a hint of chopped cilantro, about 2 teaspoons.
The lobster and mascarpone recipe is from the Food Network
Lobster and Mascarpone Filling:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 1/4 cup white wine, preferably Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 pound cooked lobster meat, picked over and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 pound mascarpone cheese at room temperature
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 recipe standard or colored pasta dough recipe follows
- 2 egg whites, beaten
Burro di Tartufo (Truffle Butter):
- 1 pound unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 (4-ounce) jar truffles, black or white, finely chopped
Directions
Make lobster and mascarpone filling: Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Add shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add brandy. Turning pan away from you, carefully light with match to flambe. Add white wine and cook until reduced to syrup-like consistency, about 10 minutes. Add lobster meat, cooking until just warmed through. Remove from heat and place into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine mascarpone cheese with beaten eggs, chopped basil, nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste. Add to lobster and shallot mixture and combine well. Taste to adjust seasoning. Cover and set aside. If not using immediately, store in the refrigerator for up to a day.
Create pasta:
Using a pasta roller, roll out pasta into thin sheets. Place ravioli pieces on a floured dishtowel and cover so that pasta does not dry out. Working with 1 ravioli at a time, place a spoonful of filling in the center of 1 ravioli bottom cutout. Using the paint brush, brush egg white all over the pasta edges around the filling. Place the matching ravioli top atop the filling and press to seal the edges, pinching together with a fork. Cover, until all of the ravioli shapes are made. If not using immediately, store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a day. If freezing, separate ravioli on a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap until frozen so that ravioli doesn't stick together. Once frozen, store in a freezer-proof sealable plastic bag or airtight container for up to a month.
Make Truffle Butter Sauce: Into the bowl of an electric mixer, add butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a paddle attachment, cream until smooth. Add chopped truffles and mix until just blended, being careful not to "cream" the truffles into the butter. Place in bowl, cover and refrigerate a minimum of 5 hours or preferably overnight so that the truffles infuse the butter.
Remove butter and allow it to come to room temperature. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter. Melt until warm – do not let it come to a boil. Keep warm over low heat.
Meanwhile, bring a large shallow saucepan of salted water to boil. Carefully slide in raviolis. Cook until al dente. About 10 minutes if using ravioli immediately; 12 minutes if using refrigerated ravioli and 15 minutes for frozen. Remove raviolis with a slotted spoon and lay on paper towels to absorb excess water. Place ravioli on plates and drizzle with truffle butter.
3 cups all-purpose flour
Salt
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil, optional
As for wines - and this is for Scott :)
We will be starting with a 2007 Comte La Fond Sancerre, moving on to a 2007 Abbe Rous Pinot Gris, and ending with a 2006 Yves Cuilleron Saint Joseph Blanc.
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