When I was a kid I used to go to the South of France on holiday and while there, we’d eat seafood soup. I can clearly recall the flavours and the sensation of eating it and since then have considered fish soup as one of my favourite things on the planet. If I was castaway it would be the one dish I’d have or if I was facing the gallows, this would be my last supper.
The flavour of the soup comes from the langoustine heads and while this recipe may seem like an awful lot of work for very little return, it’s absolutely worth doing. The stock starts out quite pink but darkens as it reduces and gives off the most amazing smell. Once made, it’s important to properly garnish it with croutons, rouille and cheese so it looks really pretty.
Today’s second recipe for a colourful, jewel-like summer salad with pink grapefruit, orangey-salmon and green avocado features ceviche which is really cured, raw fish which I’m a big fan of. This salad is big on flavours but not on calories which makes it ideal for summer dining.
LANGOUSTINE BISQUE WITH CROUTONS, ROUILLE & GRUYERE
SERVES 8
FOR THE BISQUE:
120ml olive oil
750g langoustine heads
1 onion, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
Half a bulb fennel, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
FOR THE AROMATICS:
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 strips orange zest
Juice 1 orange
Pinch saffron
1 bay leaf
pinch chilli flakes
Half a tsp peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 star anise
250ml white wine
1 tin good chopped tomatoes
700ml chicken stock
250g fish trim
Sprig thyme
FOR THE ROUILLE:
1 slice crustless bread
3 tbsp bisque
3 tbsp Hellman’s mayonnaise
50ml olive oil
1 tbsp good quality harissa
FOR THE CROUTONS:
1 baguette thinly sliced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Grated gruyere cheese
Fry the langoustine heads in oil, and crush with a rolling pin. Add the onion, celery, carrot, fennel and pepper and fry. Add the aromatics – the garlic, orange zest and juice, saffron, bay, chilli flakes, peppercorns, cumin, coriander, fennel and star anise. Add the wine to deglaze. Then add the tomato and cook out, adding the stock and fish trim. Bring to a simmer. Add the thyme. Cook for 1 hour, then blitz with a stick blender and finally pass through a chinois. Reduce until the bisque thickens.
For the croutons, shallow fry the thin slices of baguette until crisp. Season then set aside on some kitchen towel. For the rouille, soak the bread in the 3 tbsp bisque. Whisk the harissa and oil into the mayonnaise, then blitz with the bread.
To serve the bisque, pour into warmed bowls, place a spoonful of rouille on each crouton and float on the soup. Sprinkle over the grated cheese.
CEVICHE OF SALMON WITH AVOCADO, BEETROOT AND GRAPEFRUIT
SERVES 2
2 Loch Duart salmon fillets, skinned
1 pink grapefruit, peeled
1 avocado, peeled
1 small cooked beetroot
A few coriander leaves or cress leaves to decorate
A few chive flowers, to decorate
FOR THE CRÈME FRAICHE ACCOMPANIMENT:
4 tbsp crème fraiche
Juice and zest of a lemon
FOR THE DRESSING:
Juice from 1 grapefruit
Good quality olive oil
Zest of grapefruit
Use only the best, freshest salmon for this – we recommend Loch Duart. Trim off any fat or messy edges. Slice each fillet neatly into 3 long slices per person. Using a clean sharp knife, cut the pith off the grapefruit and cut the flesh into cubes. Cut the avocado flesh into cubes and do the same with the cooked beetroot. Keep the beetroot separate so the colour doesn’t stain anything else.
Place the salmon on a chilled plate. Carefully arrange the grapefruit, avocado and beetroot on top of the salmon – large tweezers are useful for this. Mix the crème fraiche with the lemon juice and zest, then pipe or spoon on to the salmon in small dots. Scatter over the herbs and lightly drizzle the dressing all around. Serve immediately.
