Seared Langoustines and Garden Cucumbers
- 8 8-ounce langoustines (250 g each)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 ounces raw Isigny cream
- 4 cucumber flowers
- Salt
- Pepper
Buckwheat Wafer
- 4 buckwheat crêpes
- 3/4 ounce butter (20 g)
- 2/3 cup cream (15 cl)
- 2/3 cup langoustine broth (15 cl)
Cucumber
- 1 cucumber
- 1/2 bunch dill
- 1 finger lime
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 ounce butter (15 g)
- 2/3 cup langoustine broth (15 cl)
Instructions
Step 1: Langoustines
Peel the langoustines: remove their heads and set aside, then take off the shell, keeping the last section attached. Devein the langoustines: remove the black “vein” (intestine) running along the back of the tail, then cut off at the remaining section of shell.
Step 2: Buckwheat Wafer
Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Dry out the crepes for 20 minutes, then break into pieces. Set two aside in pieces for the sauce, and grind the other two to a powder. Press through a tea strainer to obtain a fine powder.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Set aside a few pieces of crepe for finishing and add the rest to the pan. Brown, then add the langoustine heads and brown again. Moisten with the broth and cream. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Blend with an immersion (stick) blender and strain through a conical strainer (sieve). Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Cucumber
Wash the dill and pluck off the tips. Cut the finger lime in half and collect the pearls. Peel the garlic clove.
Step 4: Plating
Season the langoustines with salt and pepper and sear on one side in a pan for a few minutes.
Place a quenelle of raw cream on the plates. Sprinkle with the buckwheat powder and crêpe pieces. Place the cucumber julienne, a few finger lime pearls, and one cucumber flower on top. Add the cucumber balls and sprinkle with dill. Add the langoustine and the sauce, emulsified with an immersion blender at the last minute.
A tip from Stéphanie Le Quellec
The langoustines can also be cooked on a flat griddle.