*  Exported from  MasterCook  *

                         THE FLOWERS IN THE SEA

Recipe By     :
Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Seafood

 Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
280       g            Fresh salmon fillet
280       g            Fresh garoupa fillet
 12                    Romaine lettuce leaves
  5       g            Sea urchin roe *
  8                    Baby artichokes
  1 1/3   c            Fish stock
                       Salt, white pepper,
                       -vinegar, lemon juice
                       Flour
                       -----SAUCE-----
  1 1/3   c            Dry white wine
 20       g            Chopped shallots
  1       c            Fish stock
  1 1/3   c            Fresh cream
 75       g            Sea urchin roe (optional)
                       Salt, freshly-milled white
                       -pepper, lemon juice
 40       g            Butter
 20       g            Lobster coral (roe) **
                       -----GARNISH-----
  4                    Whole sea urchins (optional)
                       Vinegar/lemon juice, salt,
                       -oil
 80       g            Watercress

 * (optional - lobster roe can be substituted, but it
 will change the overall flavour)

 ** or substitute a pinch of paprika for colouring
 purposes, although it will change over all flavour

 This is another "not what it appears to be" dish.  The
 main part looks kinda like a sea anemone.  It's
 garnished with whole, boiled sea urchins++a nice
 touch.  You should be able to find the sea urchin roe
 at a Japanese grocery.  Remember the "shallots" called
 for are probably green onions.

 Establishment: Hotel Riverside Plaza Tai Chung Kiu
 Road, Shatin, New Territories. Western Cuisine
 Practical Class Gold Award - Hot Fish Dish Chef: Chow
 Kwok-ting, Phil (Hotel Riverside Plaza)

 To prepare: 1. Slice salmon and garoupa fillets into
 thin squares about 9 to 10 cms wide and 3 to 4 mms
 thick. Each ball needs two slices of each fish. (Do
 not attempt to make them all exactly the same width,
 as the subsequent moulding process is easier if the
 layers of fish diminish in size.) Season with salt and
 pepper.  .

 2.  Blanch lettuce leaves by dipping in hot water,
 then refresh in iced water.  Cut into squares of
 similar diminishing dimensions as fish slices. Each
 ball needs four lettuce squares.

 3.  Pile up alternating layers of fish and lettuce,
 starting with a bottom layer of salmon, then lettuce,
 garoupa, lettuce, salmon, lettuce, garoupa, and a
 final layer of lettuce.  Place a dot of sea urchin or
 lobster roe (optional)

 4.  Lay each pile on a piece of cling wrap about 20
 cms square. Moulding upwards from the bottom layer,
 form each pile into a ball. Wrap it firmly, twisting a
 knot at top of cling wrap to hold moulded ball in
 shape.

 To cook: 1. To make sauce, reduce white wine with
 chopped shallots to thickness of essence.  Add fish
 stock and reduce again.  Add fresh cream, and
 remainder of sea urchin or lobster roe (optional).
 Strain sauce, add salt and pepper and a few drops of
 lemon juice.  Stir in butter and lobster coral (or
 paprika).  Keep warm.

 2.  To cook artichokes, bring a pan of water to the
 boil.  Add some lemon juice drops, salt, a little
 plain flour and whole baby artichokes, and simmer for
 25 to 30 minutes.  Remove artichokes and discard green
 outer leaves.  Carefully peel off purple-tinted inner
 leaves, trim them uniformly and set aside.  Cut white
 artichoke bottoms so that they have flat bases.

 3.  (Optional) Boil sea urchins, adding a little
 vinegar or lemon juice, oil and salt to pan.  (Please
 note that the very prickly urchins must be handled
 with care!  Although they are edible garnishes,
 special eating tongs are recommended!)

 4.  Heat fish stock.  Simmer wrapped balls for about
 five minutes, remove pan from heat and leave aside for
 1 to 2 minutes.  During simmering prepare the
 presentation plates as below.

 To present: 1. Pour sauce onto plates (forming the
 "sea")

 2.  Place two artichoke bottoms on each plate , laying
 two layers of trimmed artichoke leaves around each
 bottom.

 3.  Remove fish balls from stock and make three
 cross-wise inci- sions on top of each.  (Cling wrap
 will fall away, and cut "blossoms" reveal their layers
 and "pollen' of sea urchin roe.) Lifting it clear of
 its cling wrapping, place one fish ball on each
 artichoke bottom.

 4.  Add watercress and cooked sea urchin (or
 alternative garnish) to each plate.

 From "Champion Recipes of the 1986 Hong Kong Food
 Festival".  Hong Kong Tourist Association, 1986.

 Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; October 29 1992.



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