Tortellini of eel, watercress cream, bitter leaves

INGREDIENTS

(serves six)

For the tortellini
15ml double cream
15g fresh breadcrumbs
100g conger eel flesh
50g cooked spinach
Lemon juice
20g chopped watercress
Salt, black pepper
250g ravioli pasta

For the sauce

75g finely sliced green of leek
75g chopped watercress stalks
50g unsalted butter
200ml Noilly Prat
400ml fish stock
250ml double cream
100g chopped watercress leaves
Salt, white pepper
Lemon juice (if needed)

For the salad
50g trompettes des morts
50g unsaltedbutter
3 handfuls of picked bitter leaves (to include watercress)
Lemon juice
Olive oil

To finish

25g finely chopped watercress
50g unsalted butter

50g trompettes des morts
25g baby capers

METHOD

To make the tortellini, boil the cream and add to the breadcrumbs. Cool. Finely chop the eel and spinach and add to the bread mix. Add lemon juice, chopped watercress and seasoning. Taste. Form into 30 small balls, and place in the fridge to set the shape.

Roll the pasta out finely, and cut into 30 discs with a 70ml cutter. Place the eel mix in the middle of the disc, fold, seal and form tortellini shape. Blanch to set the pasta, refresh, drain and keep covered.

For the watercress cream and sauce, sweat the leeks and watercress stalks in a little butter. Deglaze with Noilly Prat, and reduce until evaporated. Add the stock and reduce byone-third, add the cream, cook for three minutes. Add the watercress, bring back to the boil, and cook for one minute. Liquidise and pass.

Split it into two, reduce half to a thick cream, and bring the other half back to the boil. Season both the sauces and acidify with lemon juice if needed. Note: speed is of the essence with these sauces, in order to capture the freshness.

Sauté the trompettes in butter, and season. Dress the salad at the last minute with a little lemon dressing. Mix with the trompettes and put in the middle of the plates.

For presentation, reheat the tortellini and toss in butter containing capers and chopped watercress. Season. Sauté the trompettes in a little butter. Season. Dress the plate with a little reduced watercress cream and space the tortellini on top. Scatter with a few trompettes and coat with the remaining sauce (frothed up in a blender).

David Everitt-Matthias

Photo © Sam Bailey