Cauliflower panna cotta with torched scallop and cauliflower variation

by Chef Fabian Lehmann, Maxwell Restaurant (McLaren Vale, South Australia)

Serves 8

Ingredients:

Cauliflower panna cotta

• 1 cauliflower
• 1 L full cream milk
• 6 sheets of gelatine
• good quality soy sauce
• sea salt flakes

Dehydrated cauliflower

• cauliflower
• salt flakes

Pickled cauliflower

• cauliflower florets
• 80 ml cooking sake
• 40 ml mirin
• 60 ml sushi vinegar
• 60 g sugar
• 10 coriander seeds

Cauliflower purée

• cauliflower trim (from dehydrated)
• butter
• milk

Torched scallops

• 8 scallops

Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

Cauliflower panna cotta Cook cauliflower in milk until soft. Soak gelatine in cold water. Process cauliflower and milk in Thermomix or blender until smooth. Pass through fine sieve and season with salt and soy sauce to taste. Add gelatine to hot mix, stir until dissolved. Pour mixture into tray at a thickness of 1cm and refrigerate until set. Cut into large discs using a cookie cutter.

Dehydrated cauliflower Shave cauliflower on mandolin or meat slicer as thin as possible. Dehydrate on 65°C for 2 hours. Deep fry on 160°C until golden and crispy. Season with salt.

Pickled cauliflower Boil sake, mirin, sushi vinegar, sugar and coriander seeds to make a pickling juice. Set aside to cool. Take 200 g of cauliflower florets and add to room temperature pickling juice. Leave in pickling juice until soft.

Cauliflower purée Roast cauliflower trims in 3-4 tablespoons of butter until golden brown and soft. Blitz in blender and add milk until desired consistency (around 200 mls roughly). Season to taste and pass through a fine sieve.

Torched scallops Using a butane burner, briefly run the flame over the surface of the scallops until browned (a few seconds). The scallop should remain raw most of the way through. Using a very sharp knife, slice scallops horizontally as thinly as possible.

To assemble: Place disc of cauliflower panna cotta in centre of dish. Top panna cotta with several pieces of the finely sliced scallop. Pipe small dots of purée on top of scallop and alternate with florets of pickled cauliflower, finish with slices of dehydrated cauliflower. Garnish with coriander.

Chef Fabien Lehmann, Maxwell Restaurant