120g cooked foie gras
1 litre cold water
Salt and pepper
20g river prawns or shrimps
20g baby turnips
20g celery, trimmed and sliced into small diamonds
Coulis (see below)
Clarify (see below)
300ml chilled lobster gelatine (see below)
20g black truffles (from Norcia)
4tbs of olive oil
12 small sprigs of chervil

For the coulis
20g butter
Prawn shells
Garlic
6 large ripe tomatoes, quartered
25g fresh basil
15g fresh tarragon
Water

For the lobster gelatine
1 lobster shell
500ml light vegetable stock
1 sheet of gelatine

For the clarification
50g white fish flesh, deboned
1 egg white
3 black peppercorns
Pinch of salt
3 sheets of gelatine

Method

Slice the foie gras into medium pieces. Set a litre of cold water to boil, adding a little salt. When the water is boiling, cook, in turn, the prawns, baby turnips and celery for two minutes each, then strain, remove and set aside. Shell and devein the prawns leaving tails intact and keeping shells aside for the coulis. Let the turnips and the celery cool in water and ice, strain them again and season as necessary.

To prepare the coulis, melt butter in a pan and stir in the empty prawn shells, cooking until they take on a warm colour. Add garlic and tomatoes, braise them for some minutes and then add the basil and tarragon. Add enough water to cover, and boil for 10 minutes. Pass through a strainer and reduce the cooking liquid over heat to reach the desired consistency. Allow to cool.

To make the lobster gelatine, cover the shell of a lobster with the light vegetable stock and reduce for one-and-a-half hours. Filter the liquid and add the sheet of gelatine. Allow to cool and chop into cubes.

For the clarification process, place the fish in a blender and blend with the egg white and the peppercorns. Add this to the cooled coulis. Heat and simmer for 20 minutes, then gently pass through a muslin cloth. Season to taste, add the three sheets of gelatine to the coulis mix and allow to partially set.

To serve, pour the semi-set gelatine mix on to each plate. Place the prawns with tails, celery diamonds, "turnip tops", pieces of foie gras, lobster gelatine cubes and the thinly sliced black truffle to create a mosaic pattern. Drizzle with olive oil, garnish with the chervil and serve.

Wine selection: Franciacorta Brut Saten - Selection Gualtiero Marchesi

by Gualtiero Marchesi

Photo © Tom Stockhill