Hot Velvet Crab Aspic with Mini-Corn Cob Cous-Cous

By corlear

Ingredients

• For the crab meat:
• 14 oz crabs (2 units)
• 1 cup seawater
• 1 cup water
• For the crab stock:
• crab shells (see previous step)
• 11/2 cup water
• salt
• 0.4 º olive oil
• For the coral sauce:
• the coral saved from the crabs (see previous step)
• For the hot crab aspic:
• 1/2 cup crab stock (see previous step)
• pinch powdered agar-agar
• 1 sheet gelatin (previously rehydrated in cold water)
• 21/4 oz crab meat (see previous step)
• For the corn cous-cous:
• 7 oz baby corn on the cobs
• To finish:
• 11/4 tbsp butter
• 3/4 tbsp 0.4º olive oil
• diced fennel
• freshly ground black pepper
• salt

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

For the crab meat:
1. Mix the two types of water together and bring to the boil.
2. Cook the crabs in boiling water for 3 min. (if the crabs weigh 7 oz . If they weigh less, they will need less time). Drain and leave to cool.
3. Separate the claws and remove the crab meat, making sure that you save the essence.
4. Collect the essence and sieve. Keep on one side for the sauce.
5. Remove the meat from all the claws and body, making sure that no meat is left in the shell.
6. Keep the shells on one side to make the crab stock.

For the crab stock:
1. Brown the shells in a little oil in a frying pan. Transfer to a pan and break the shells up.
2. Cover with the hot water, boil for 5 minutes and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain and season with salt.
3. Leave to stand, scrape off any fat and sieve.

For the coral sauce:
1. Gently heat the coral until it thickens and has a creamy consistency.

For the hot crab aspic:
1. Mix the seasoned crab stock with the powdered agar-agar.
2. Stirring continuously, bring to the boil over a medium heat, remove from the heat and whisk.
3. Add the sheets of gelatin and dissolve them in the liquid.
4. Divide the meat (½ oz per terrine) between the 3¼ x 1½ x 2/3" flexipan moulds.
5. Fill the mould with the crab meat in the aspic (1 oz per mould), mix the crab meat with the stock.
6. Leave to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours

For the corn cous-cous:
1. Use a mandolin with a 1/10" knife to cut the corn on the cobs in order to separate the corn from the cob and to make corn that will be like cous-cous.

Final Steps & Preparation:
1. Place a few grains of cous-cous on the right-hand side of the dish and place the aspic on top so it does not move. Heat in the salamandra.
2. Sauté the cous-cous in oil in the medium heat and remove from the heat. Season with salt and add the butter, which will make the cous-cous creamy.
3. Place a quenelle of quenelle opposite the crab, leaving a gap between the aspic and the cous-cous.
4. Drizzle the essence in the gap between the aspic and cous-cous.
5. Season with pepper and sprinkle with diced fennel.