Back
Scallop Cappellacci, Braised Fennel, Squid Ink Emulsion, Prawn Bisque Sauce, Fennel Salad
Recipe by Ben Macdonald
Try Ben Macdonald's Scallop Cappellacci, Braised Fennel, Squid Ink Emulsion, Prawn Bisque Sauce, Fennel Salad today!
- Steps
- Ingredients
Ingredients
Prawn Bisque Sauce
Pasta Dough
Braised Fennel
Pasta Filling
Squid Ink Emulsion
Select All
Steps
- For the Prawn Bisque Sauce, in a large stockpot over a high heat, add the olive oil and sauté the prawns and vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring until golden brown.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the brandy and cook until almost completely reduced.
- Add the herbs and water until just covered, simmer for 10 minutes. Then add more water to cover before reducing again for 45-50 minutes.
- Strain and add 2 tablespoons cream, then reduce again for 10-15 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- To make the Pasta Dough, add the ingredients to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix for 2-3 minutes until combined into a single mass.
- Attach the dough hook and knead for 5 minutes. Finish kneading by hand until smooth, then rest for 30 minutes on the bench wrapped in cling film.
- For the Braised Fennel, remove the fronds from the fennel and set aside for garnishing. Halve the fennel lengthways and cut one half into 4 wedges, keeping each attached by the core, season with salt.
- Heat a frypan over medium-high heat, add olive oil, then sauté the wedges for 5 minutes each side, until dark brown and caramelised.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine and cook until reduced by 3/4, then add the bay leaf and chicken stock, cover with a lid and reduce to a gentle simmer, for 25-30 minutes, until tender. Set aside and keep warm.
- Remove the core from the remaining half fennel bulb, then shave as finely as possible on a mandolin and place in a bowl of iced water. Reserve fronds for garnish.
- For the Pasta Filling, in a small food processor, add the scallops with a large pinch of salt. Blend until a thick paste. Add the egg and blend for a few seconds.
- Blend, while pouring in the cream, until combined. Add the chopped chives and place into a piping bag. Set aside.
- To assemble the pasta, roll the pasta into a thin sheet using a pasta machine.
- Pipe tablespoon sized mounds of filling about 5cm apart along the middle of the pasta sheet.
- Fold the pasta sheet over and then seal the edges, pushing around the filling at the base of the fold so it is tight.
- Use a fluted pasta wheel cutter to cut a rectangle around the filling, then turn the bottom two corners toward you and seal to make a cappellacci shape, like a small hat. Set aside on a floured tray until ready to cook.
- For the Squid Ink Emulsion, place all the ingredients in order into a stick blender cannister, being careful not to break the egg yolk.
- Place the head of the stick blender over the yolk and blend on full speed while lifting the blender slowly upward to emulsify. Blend until a thick emulsion is formed. Set aside in a piping bag.
- When ready to serve, drain the shaved fennel, season with salt and dress with a squeeze of lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
- Slice the braised fennel into strips and add 5 slices to the middle of each plate, then top with some of the shaved fennel and a few fronds on top.
- When ready to cook the pasta, place the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water and cook for 6-7 minutes, until the pasta is cooked.
- Place 5 of the cooked pasta on each plate, then 5 dots of the squid emulsion around them. Pour 2 tablespoons of sauce over and around the pasta to finish.
