Scallop mousse with a prawn sauce (mousseline de coquilles St Jacques sauce crevette)

The fish and seafood harvested from the cold waters of the English Channel are superb, and this scallop mousse is a very delicate dish suitable for the finest dinner party.

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Ace

Ingredients

• 350 g cleaned scallops, without the roe
• 2 eggs
• 200 ml cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 green prawns, medium-sized
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 French shallot, finely chopped
• 10 fennel seeds
• ¼ cup tomato passata
• 100 ml dry white wine
• a little chilli powder
• ⅓ cup finely cut chives

You will need four ½-cup capacity buttered soufflé moulds for this recipe.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 140°C. Butter four ½-cup capacity soufflé moulds.

Place scallops in a food processor and process to form a puree. Add eggs and process to combine. Transfer to a bowl and mix in half the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into prepared moulds, then place in a baking dish. Add enough hot water to the baking dish to reach 2 cm up the sides of moulds. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until set and cooked through.

Meanwhile, peel and devein prawns leaving the tail intact, reserving shells.

Heat oil in a saucepan over high heat. Cook prawn shells for 3 minutes. Add shallot and fennel seeds and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato puree and wine. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  

Add the remaining cream to the pan and stir to combine. Cook for another 3 minutes. Strain sauce into a bowl, discarding solids, then return to the pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add the prawn meat and gently cook for 2-3 minutes or until pink and cooked through. Season with salt, pepper and chilli powder.

Carefully invert the scallop mousse onto serving plates (they are quite delicate). Spoon a little prawn sauce over each, and garnish with prawns. Scatter over chives and serve.

Photography by Benito Martin. Styling by Sarah O’Brien. Food preparation by Alice Storey.

Props by Hayden Youlley Design. In-video photography by Peter Warren.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.