Name: Chilled Shellfish with Nasturtium Flowers, Elderflower and Cultured Cream
Prep time: 150 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream; 1 Tbsp (15 mL) buttermilk; 12 ripe medium tomatoes; Salt; 2 cups (500 mL) nasturtium leaves, lightly chopped; 1 cup (250 mL) nasturtium flowers; 12 Ocean Wise mussels, beards removed (discard any mussels that are open); 12 Ocean Wise side stripe shrimp; 1 cup (250 mL) extra virgin olive oil; ⅓ cup (80 mL) fresh lime juice; 2 Tbsp (30 mL) minced sweet onion; 3 Tbsp (45 mL) white wine vinegar; ½ fresh bay leaf, julienned; 4 slices birds eye chili, very thin; Salt; 1 Ocean Wise Dungeness crab, cooked and picked; 1 Tbsp (15 mL) mascarpone cheese; 3 Tbsp (45 mL) chamomile tea; 2 Tbsp (30 mL) elderflower cordial; ½ tsp (2 mL) lemon zest; 1 Tbsp (15 mL) chopped chervil; 1 tsp (5 mL) chopped tarragon; 1 tsp (5 mL) white soy sauce or shiro; White pepper; 1 cup (250 mL) total of edible flowers and chervil such as marigolds, nasturtium flowers, chervil

Chilled Shellfish with Nasturtium Flowers, Elderflower and Cultured Cream

Prep Time

2h 30 min

Cook Time

15 min

Yields

4 servings

This recipe includes a few of our favourite local springtime flowers. The Ocean Wise™ mussels, shrimp and sweet crab work terrifically with the fragrant flowers and cultured cream that embodies this season.

Substitutions: If you can’t find shiro, or white soy sauce,tamari (which is a light soy sauce) will work.

Note: Prepare the cultured cream 24 hours in advance.

Pairing Suggestion: Tom Firth: Terravista Fandango or Laughing Stock Blind Trust White.

ingredients

Cultured Cream

cup (250 mL) whipping cream

Tbsp (15 mL) buttermilk

Flower Broth

ripe medium tomatoes

Salt

cups (500 mL) nasturtium leaves, lightly chopped

cup (250 mL) nasturtium flowers

Ocean Wise Shellfish

Ocean Wise mussels, beards removed (discard any mussels that are open)

Ocean Wise side stripe shrimp

cup (250 mL) extra virgin olive oil

⅓

cup (80 mL) fresh lime juice

Tbsp (30 mL) minced sweet onion

Tbsp (45 mL) white wine vinegar

fresh bay leaf, julienned

slices birds eye chili, very thin

Salt

Ocean Wise Dungeness crab, cooked and picked

Tbsp (15 mL) mascarpone cheese

Tbsp (45 mL) chamomile tea

Tbsp (30 mL) elderflower cordial

tsp (2 mL) lemon zest

Tbsp (15 mL) chopped chervil

tsp (5 mL) chopped tarragon

tsp (5 mL) white soy sauce or shiro

White pepper

Garnishes and Serving

cup (250 mL) total of edible flowers and chervil such as marigolds, nasturtium flowers, chervil

Ingredient Substitution Guide

directions

Step 1

Combine the cream and buttermilk in a jar and cover with muslin or cheesecloth. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Reserve.

Step 2

Lightly purée the tomatoes in a food processor or blender and season with salt. Hang the tomatoes overnight along with nasturtium leaves in muslin or cheesecloth in the fridge. Place a container beneath the muslin with the nasturtium flowers in it to collect the water for 24 hours. Strain the tomato water through muslin or cheese cloth and reserve.

Step 3

Steam the mussels just until shells open. Cool. Peel the shrimp and keep them raw on ice. In a non-reactive bowl (i.e., not stainless steel), combine the olive oil, lime juice, onion, white wine vinegar, bay leaf and chili and season with salt. Scald the liquid. Pour half of the liquid over the mussels and half over the shrimp and let sit overnight.

Step 4

Place the crab meat in a non-reactive bowl and dress with the mascarpone, chamomile tea, elderflower cordial, lemon zest, chervil and tarragon. Season with white soy and white pepper. Chill.

Step 5

Using 2 tablespoons, form the crab mixture into 6 quenelles (elegant oval dumplings) and place 1 quenelle per person in a dinner bowl. Arrange 3 mussels and 3 shrimp per person around the crab. Garnish the dish with mixed flowers and chervil. At the last moment, pour just enough of the flower broth into the bowl to cover the bottom. Finish the dish with 1–2 Tbsp (15–30 mL)of seasoned cultured cream.

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