Cauliflower purée, confit, couscous
Inspired by different textures, chef Yazan is turning one ingredient to a recipe that utilizes all its components creating a restaurant-style experience with only one beautiful and fresh cauliflower. The classical sea scallops and cauliflower recipe is manipulated with his creativity and influenced by Middle Eastern flavors to add an exquisite yet outstanding dimension to this traditional combination.
THE COUSCOUS
- 1 medium-size cauliflower
- 1 tbs. of sumac
- 1/5 tsp. of turmeric
- 1/5 tsp. cinnamon
- Seasoning: salt & pepper
Preparation:
- Peel the flowers to you get the texture of the couscous
- In a pot of boiling salted water add the cauliflower and cook for 30 seconds only. Remove and dry.
- Add the sumac, turmeric and cinnamon and mix
- To taste, add a squeeze of lemon juice
- Keep the mixture warm
THE PURÉE
- Cauliflower heart
- Small white onion, chopped
- Half cup of milk
- Half cup of cream
- Spring of thyme
- 1 tsp. of butter
- Seasoning: salt
Preparation:
- Cut the cauliflower heart into small pieces
- In a pot melt the butter and sweat the onion until tender
- Add the cauliflower and mix well
- Add the milk and cream, thyme spring and seasoning to taste. Simmer on medium heat until the cauliflower is soft
- Remove the thyme spring and blend the mix until you obtain a smooth consistency, a purée
If the mixture is thick, thin it out by adding a warm mixture of milk and cream
THE CONFIT
- Cauliflower stem, turn by knife into oval shape
- Olive oil
- Lemon confit
Preparation:
- Lemon oil: in a small pot, infuse the lemon confit in the olive oil over medium heat
- Add the cauliflower stems and cook until soft
Confit: a French word for preserving. It indicates cooking an item slowly over a long period of time at a very low temperature, usually between 70-80 degrees celsius
SCALLOPS
- 3 pieces of sea scallops, tendons removed
- 2 tbsp. of grape seed oil
- 1 tbsp. of butter
- Lemon wedge
- Seasoning: salt & white pepper
Preparation:
- Add the oil to a preheated non-stick pan
- Seasons the scallops
- Cook for 30 second on each side
- Finish by adding butter and lemon squeeze to coat the scallops
Cooking the sea scallops should not take an overall of 1-2 minutes depending on the size of each piece. Over cooking sea scallops will turn them tough, cracked and with a rubbery texture.
GARNISH
- Fresh pomelo segments
- Moroccan lemon confit, skin thinly sliced
- Cauliflower leaves , blanched
- Brussels sprouts leaves, blanched (optional)
DISH ASSEMBLY
- Spread the purée on the plate, place the scallops and arrange the couscous artistically around
- Cut the cauliflower confit into half and plate
- Add the pomelo segments, blanched leaves, lemon confit and garnish with a sprinkle of sumac
- Finish with a drizzle of lemon oil
Bon Appétit!
