Saffron Soya Rice with Rock Mussels

By corlear

Ingredients

• For the soya rice:
• 2 1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts
• For the saffron sauce base:
• 2 tbsp saffron strands
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 tbsp 0.4º olive oil
• cornflour
• salt
• For the rock mussels and their juices:
• 20 rock mussels (1 oz each)
• For the mussel gelatin:
• 11/2 cup mussel juices (see previous step)
• pinch powdered agar-agar
• For the lemon sponge:
• 11/2 cup lemon juice
• 11/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter
• To finish:
• 11/2 tbsp 0.4º olive oil
• pinch salt

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

For the soya rice:
1. Break off the ends of each bean spout. Then cut the center part of the stem into ½" pieces, so that they look like a grain of rice. Allow 1 oz per person

For the saffron sauce base:
1. Roast the saffron in foil in the oven at 325ºF for approximately 1 minute. Crumble with your fingers.
2. Bring the water and saffron to the boil. Add a little oil and thicken slightly with cornflour. Season with salt.

For the rock mussels and their juices:
1. Plunge the mussels in small batches in to boiling water for 8 or 9 seconds.
2. Use the tip of a sharp knife to cut the peduncle connecting the mussels to the shell. Remove the mussels and smell each one.
3. Sieve the juices and then keep the mussels on one side in their own juices.

For the mussel gelatin:
1. Mix the mussel juices and the powdered agar-agar.
2. Stirring continuously, bring to the boil over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and whisk.
3. Set 2 soupspoons in 4 small dishes (2 tbsp per portion).

For the lemon sponge:
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a metallic bowl, which should be 8" in diameter and 10" high. Heat to 60-160ºF and keep warm.

Final Steps & Preparation:
1. sauté the rice in the oil, add the saffron base and season with salt. Leave to cook for 30 seconds. The bean sprouts have to be al dente and the sauce has to stick to the rice.
2. Heat the dish with the gelatin in the salamandra for 10-12 seconds.
3. Emulsify the sponge in a Thermomix and whisk the surface to introduce as much air as possible and make a foam that we call sponge.
4. Place a spoonful of rice on half the gelatin and 4 or 5 mussels warmed in their juices on the other half.
5. Put a soupspoon of lemon sponge between the mussels.