- 4
Ingredients
- For the cuttlefish cubes:
- 1 cuttlefish (2.2 lb)
- For the ink sauce:
- the cuttlefish trimmings: tentacles, fins and the ink bag (see previous step)
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup 0.4º olive oil
- cornflour
- salt
- For the lemon marmalade:
- 1 21/4-oz lemon
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3/4 tbsp glucose
- For the cuttlefish essence:
- cuttlefish spleen (brown bag)
- For the cuttlefish quenelles:
- 51/4 oz diced cuttlefish (see previous step)
- 0.4 º olive oil
- salt
Preparation
Step 1
For the cuttlefish cubes:
1. Clean the cuttlefish and keep the ink bag, spleen (brown), the fins and tentacles.
2. Cut the body of the fish into 2 x 2" squares and wrap them in clingfilm. Place them as flat as possible in the freezer.
3. Once frozen, use a meat slicer to cut the squares into thin 1/10" thick slices. 4. Wrap in clingfilm and freeze on a smooth tray.
5. Once it is frozen, cut into 1/10" thick sticks and then cut the sticks into 1/10 x 1/10 x 1/10" cubes
6. Keep in the fridge.
For the ink sauce:
1. Chop up all the trimmings, the tentacles and fins into small even pieces.
2. Seal the pieces of cuttlefish in a little hot 0.4º olive oil. They should be golden brown in color.
3. Deglaze the excess oil, add the water and simmer for approximately 80 minutes.
4. Leave to rest 20 minutes off the heat and sieve.
5. Bring to the boil and add the fresh cuttlefish ink.
6. Leave to reduce over a low heat until you have a thick, smooth stock. Sieve.
7. Thicken with cornflour until the sauce has a slightly creamy consistency. Season with salt.
8. Add 1/8 cup of 0.4º olive oil and do not stir so that it does not emulsify.
For the lemon marmalade:
1. Cut the lemon into ½" cubes.
2. Mix the lemon, sugar and glucose together and simmer for approximately 40 minutes.
For the cuttlefish essence:
1. Blend the spleen in the food processor until you have a thin sauce. Sieve.
2. Season with salt and put in a baster. Keep in the fridge.
For the cuttlefish quenelles:
1. Add a few drops of 0.4º olive oil to the diced cuttlefish. Stir.
2. Use two dessertspoons to make compact quenelles (12 g each).
3. Arrange 3 quenelles in the shape of a 3-pointed star in a soup plate, making sure that the ends of the quenelles do not touch.
4. Do not place them in the fridge so that it is easier to warm them. Season with salt
Final Steps & Preparation:
1. Place a lemon marmalade cube, between 2 quenelles, on the cuttlefish plate.
2. Warm the quenelles in the salamandra for 10 seconds.
3. Place two spoonfuls of ink sauce in the gaps between the quenelles. The sauce has to be hot and should not be in contact with the cuttlefish.
4. Finish by placing a little cuttlefish essence in the gaps between the ink sauce and the quenelles.