A delicious starter.
Ingredients
- for the pasta dough:
- 1 large pinch of saffron strands
- 1 tblsp boiling water
- 250 g “oo” pasta flour
- 0.5 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tblsp olive oil
- for the butternut squash velouté:
- 750 g butternut squash (chopped)
- 3 tblsp olive oil
- 2 large shallots (peeled and finely chopped)
- 25 g butter
- 600 ml hot vegetable stock
- 75 ml cream
- for the cep ravioli:
- 1 quantity of saffron pasta dough as above
- 30 g butter
- 250 g chestnut mushrooms (trimmed and finely chopped)
- 20 g dried ceps/porcini mushrooms (rehydrated in water for 30 min)
- sea salt and black pepper
- 1 tsp truffle-infused olive oil
- 2-3 tbsp mashed potato (enough to bind)
- 1 egg yolk
- for the scallops:
- 12 large scallops without coral
- for the parmesan crisp:
- 6 heaped tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
- 6 heaped tbsp white cheddar cheese, grated
Method
- For the Pasta Dough:
- Soak saffron in ½ tbsp of boiling water for 5 minutes.
- Sift the flour and salt into a food processor.
- Add the eggs, yolks and olive oil.
- Strain in saffron water.
- Blitz to combine.
- The mixture should form small lumps, which will hold together as a smooth firm paste.
- Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and slightly springy. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes before using
- For the Ravioli:
- Heat sauté pan and add butter and mushrooms.
- Season with salt and pepper and sauté for 5-7 minutes until all liquid from mushrooms has evaporated.
- Transfer to mixing bowl and mix in truffle infused oil and just enough mashed potato to combine. Cover and chill.
- For the Ravioli:
- Roll out pasta dough through pasta machine until the desired thickness is achieved. Make sure to dust with flour as the pasta sticks to everything.
- Cut the sheets into 100mm x 100mm sections.
- Take mushroom mixture out of the fridge and roll small balls of the mushroom mixture. The size should be half that of a golf ball.
- Place the ball in the middle of a pasta sheet, then eggwash around the ball.
- Place another pasta sheet on top of the mushroom.
- As you are pressing the pasta into the eggwash make sure to press out all of the air, if you don’t your ravioli will burst when boiled.
- Once the ravioli has been sealed make sure to seal the edges with a fork.
- Take a round pastry cutter and cut a nice edge around the ravioli. Leave the ravioli on a floured surface to stop it sticking.
- For the Velouté:
- Heat sauté pan and add butter and oil.
- Add the shallots and cook until translucent.
- Do not colour the shallots.
- Add the butternut squash and cook until the edges start to colour slightly.
- Add the stock and simmer until the squash is cooked. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the cream and stir.
- Carefully pour the mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Pass the mixture through a fine sieve to remove all lumps.
- Add water to the veloutè until the consistency of single cream is achieved. Set aside.
- For the Parmesan Crisp:
- Preheat on oven to 180°C.
- Mix both the cheeses together and spread out the cheese on a baking tray. Form a rectangular shape.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes or until slightly golden.
- Remove from oven and leave to cool for 15-30 seconds.
- Lift the crisp out with an egg lifter and place on a chopping board.
- Cut immediately with a sharp knife into the desired shape.
- You have to work quickly as the cheese will solidify and become hard really quickly. Set aside until needed.
- Bringing It All Together:
- Boil some salted water for the ravioli. Drop the ravioli into the water for 3-4 minutes. Remove carefully and leave on some kitchen paper.
- To cook the scallops, place a frying pan on a high heat.
- Add olive oil and place seasoned scallops onto the surface. Cook for 2 minutes and then turn over.
- Place directly into a preheated oven at 180°C. Leave in the oven for 2-3 minutes.
- Take the pan back out and squeeze a small bit of lemon juice over the scallops.
- To Serve:
- Place 1-2 scallops in the centre of a large bowl.
- Place the ravioli on top.
- Spoon some of the veloutè around the scallops.
- Then place a parmesan crisp on top.
