Butter-Poached Langoustines with Uni...Butter-Poached Langoustines with Uni Emulsion and Charred Leek Dashi

Succulent Scottish langoustines gently poached in cultured kombu butter, nestled over a velvety sea urchin emulsion and finished with a fragrant charred leek dashi and tart finger lime pearls.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Sear the split leek directly on a screaming-hot dry cast-iron skillet until deeply charred on the cut side. Transfer to a small saucepan with the ichiban dashi and simmer gently for 20 minutes to infuse. Strain through cheesecloth, reduce to 80ml, season with a dash of mirin, and keep warm.

2. 02

   In a heatproof bowl set over a gentle bain-marie, whisk the egg yolks with mirin and 15ml of water until thick and ribbon-like. Blend the fresh sea urchin with the warm sabayon and yuzu juice using an immersion blender until aerated and emulsified. Season with fine sea salt and hold warm (do not exceed 58°C).

3. 03

   Gently infuse the cultured butter with the dried kombu in a small heavy-bottomed pot over low heat until fully melted and held steady at precisely 54°C to 56°C. Remove the kombu.

4. 04

   Submerge the langoustine tails into the warm butter bath. Poach gently for 3 to 4 minutes until the flesh transitions from translucent to barely opaque, retaining extreme tenderness.

5. 05

   To plate, spoon a pool of warm uni emulsion into the center of four shallow ceramic bowls. Arrange two butter-poached langoustines over the sauce, delicately sprinkling them with fleur de sel. Garnish with crisp sea asparagus and bright finger lime pearls, then tableside, pour a thread of charred leek dashi around the perimeter.