Pink Shrimp Crostini Bouillabaisse Relish And Saffron Aioli Food

SEA SCALLOPS WITH SAFFRON AIOLI

Steps:

• Put the orange juice and saffron in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 1 minute, until orange juice is infused with the saffron; stir in the zest and remove from the heat to cool slightly. Whisk the orange mixture and the mayonnaise in a small bowl until combined. Season with salt and set aside while you cook the scallops.
• Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and season well with salt and pepper. When the oil is rippling, add the scallops and sear, turning once, until golden brown but still opaque in the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the scallops from the skillet to serving dishes, (3 to 4 per person), and drizzle with the aioli. Serve immediately.

GRILLED VEGETABLES SALAD WITH CRAB CAKES AND SAFFRON AIOLI

Steps:

• Saute the peppers and garlic in olive oil. Set aside to cool.
• In a big bowl, combine the crabmeat, 3 tablespoons of the mayonnaise, herbs, bread crumbs, and the cooled Sauteed mixture. Mix well. If it seems dry, add more mayonnaise. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Make balls from crab mix into 8 equal portions. Pat each into a disk. Chill again until ready to cook.
• Preheat grill for 20 minutes before you need to cook vegetables. Prep all the vegetables then toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper in separate bowls. Grill them over medium high heat until they are tender but not mushy, about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill. As they come off grill, toss them in a bit more olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Fry the crab cakes over medium high heat in olive oil until golden brown. Serve with the grilled vegetables and Saffron Aioli.
• Use garlic that is fresh and firm. If garlic has sprouted, split the cloves and remove green germ. In food processor, puree garlic until chopped fine. Season with salt and pepper and add the saffron and egg yolks. With motor running slowly, add the olive oil in a thin steady stream. When it is done, it should be like a thick mayonnaise. Add lemon juice and cayenne and taste for seasoning.
• Alternatively, you can make the aioli in a mortar and pestle, which is the traditional way.
• Yield: 2 cups

DIRTY RICE ARANCINI WITH SAFFRON AIOLI

Steps:

• For the dirty rice arancini: Place the chicken stock in a small pot with a fat pinch of saffron and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for a few minutes to infuse. Keep warm over low heat.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the chicken livers and hearts and saute until cooked through. Deglaze the pan with the sweet vermouth and let evaporate. Remove the hearts and livers from the pan and set aside.
• To the same pot, add the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook until browned and crisp. Add the onions and garlic; cook for a few minutes. Add the rice and toast for another 3 to 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and let evaporate. Begin adding the warm stock a ladleful at a time. Cook, stirring constantly, until the rice has absorbed all of the stock before adding the next ladleful. Do this for 17 minutes. When finished, remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the chicken hearts and livers, the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the Parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the risotto onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the refrigerator to cool.
• Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees F..
• Set up a breading station: In the first shallow dish, place the flour and season with salt and pepper. In the next dish, add the beaten eggs and a touch of water; season with salt and pepper. In the last dish, mix together the breadcrumbs, cornmeal, pecorino, parsley, fennel pollen, red pepper flakes, orange zest and lemon zest.
• Take the cooled risotto out of the fridge, form into Ping-Pong-ball-size balls and roll tightly. Dredge the rice balls in the flour, then the egg wash and then in the breadcrumb mixture. Fry in batches until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate and season with salt.
• For the saffron aioli: Place a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil, followed by the garlic, lemon zest, orange zest and saffron. Cook for 1 minute. Set aside to cool.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and mustard. Whisking constantly, slowly stream in the grapeseed oil to emulsify. When all of the oil has been added, season with salt and lemon juice. Stir in the cooled saffron mixture to combine.
• Serve the arancini on a plate with saffron aioli and lemon wedges.

PAN-SEARED SHRIMP WITH CURRY AIOLI

Steps:

• Whisk the lime juice and egg yolks in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of the oil, a few drops at a time, whisking constantly until all the oil is incorporated and the mixture is emulsified. Whisk in the curry paste. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the shrimp liberally with salt and pepper. In two batches, add the shrimp to the pan in a single layer and cook until lightly browned and the edges turn pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Transfer the shrimp to a serving platter and garnish with the scallions. Serve with the curry aioli.

BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• To make the croutons heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lay the slices of bread on a flat baking tray in a single layer, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15 mins until golden and crisp. Set aside - can be made a day ahead and kept in an airtight container.
• Use a layer of the green part of the leek to wrap around and make a herb bundle with the thyme, bay, parsley stalks, orange peel and chilli. Tie everything together with kitchen string and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a very large casserole dish or stock pot and throw in the onion, sliced leek and fennel and cook for about 10 mins until softened. Stir through the garlic and cook for 2 mins more, then add the herb bundle, tomato purée, star anise, Pernod if using, chopped tomatoes and saffron. Simmer and stir for a minute or two then pour over the fish stock. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer, then add the piece of potato. Bubble everything gently for 30 mins until you have a thin tomatoey soup. When that piece of potato is on the brink of collapse, fish it out and set aside to make the rouille.
• While the broth is simmering make the rouille by crushing the garlic, chilli and saffron with a pinch of salt in a mortar with a pestle. Mash in the cooked potato to make a sticky paste then whisk in the egg yolk and, very gradually, the olive oil until you make a mayonnaise-like sauce. Stir in the lemon juice and set aside.
• Once the chunky tomato broth has cooked you have two options: for a rustic bouillabaisse, simply poach your fish in it along with the mussels, if you're using (just until they open) and serve. For a refined version, remove the herb bundle and star anise. Using a handheld or table-top blender, blitz the soup until smooth. Pass the soup through a sieve into a large, clean pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Starting with the densest fish, add the chunks to the broth and cook for 1 min before adding the next type. With the fish we used, the order was: monkfish, John Dory, grey mullet, snapper. When all the fish is in, scatter over the mussels, if using, and simmer everything for about 5 mins until just cooked and the mussels have opened.
• Use a slotted spoon to carefully scoop the fish and mussels out onto a warmed serving platter, moisten with just a little broth and scatter over the chopped parsley. Bring everything to the table. Some people eat it as two courses, serving the broth with croutons and rouille first, then the fish spooned into the same bowl. Others simply serve it as a fish stew. Whichever way you choose the rouille is there to be stirred into the broth to thicken and give it a kick.