Amber at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong has claimed the impressive 4th spot on the S. Pellegrino Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and the “Best Restaurant inChina” award for two consecutive years. “The list is maturing and a broader and better representation of Asia in the list is evident, it is wonderful to receive such prestigious focus towards Asia and put the diversity of our culinary landscape on a world stage,” says Amber’s Two-Michelin-starred chef, Richard Ekkebus. Read more about the highly acclaimed chef.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Montage sea urchin
6 sea urchins from hokkaido, cut open neatly with scissors, the tongues removed delicately with a tsp, the shells well rinsed, dried, placed in the refrigerator
Lobster consommé
1x500g blue lobster, separate the claws, split in two, cut in 8 regular pieces
1 vine ripe italian tomato, chopped coarsely
1 tbsp olive oil
½ stem celery, washed, peeled and diced
1 pc white onion, preferably cevenne, peeled and chopped
200m. Cognac vsop
250ml dry white wine
1l chicken stock, of good flavour
12g gelatine sheets, soaked in ice water
Cauliflower mousse
300g cauliflower, cleaned and cut into small pieces
1l milk
3g gelatine sheets, soaked in ice water
200g cream
Fine sea salt
‘sea weed’ waffle
50g spinach leaves, stems removed, washed and dried
20g nori sheets
5g unsalted butter, melted
20g organic egg whites
20g all purpose flour, sieved through a fine sieve
0.5g fine sea salt
Garnish
40g caviar, preferably ossetra or farmed kaluga schrenki
1 gold leaf
50g dulce seaweed, rinsed and dried
Method
Lobster consommé
Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottom saucepan. Add the lobster and colour golden brown. Add the vegetables and sweat until all juices have evaporated. Deglaze with the brandy and flambé in the pan until the alcohol has burnt off. Add the white wine and reduce to a syrupy consistency. Add the chicken stock and bring to boil. Just before the boiling point skim off all impurities (repeat this during the cooking process to obtain a clear bouillon). Keep to just under the boiling point and simmer for 20 minutes. Take of the stove and leave to set for 30 minutes. Pass the lobster bouillon delicately thought a sieve, covered with a pre-rinsed mousseline cloth or kitchen towel. Reheat 1 litre and dissolve the gelatin. Check the seasoning and adjust with salt if needed. Cool down delicately over ice until the gelatin starts to set.
Cauliflower mousse
Boil the cauliflower in the salted milk until the cauliflower is a well-cooked fondant. Mix the cauliflower in a blender to reach a smooth consistency, then pass through the sieve. Take 100g of cauliflower purée and heat in a small heavy bottom saucepan. Dissolve the gelatin. Cool down delicately over ice until the gelatin starts to set. In the meantime, whip the cream with a pinch of salt, then incorporate the half whipped cream in the cauliflower purée and mix delicately. Check the seasoning and justify with salt if needed. Place the cauliflower mousse in a pastry bag. Place the bag in the refrigerator till usage.
Seaweed waffle
Blanche the spinach leaves in salted boiling water. Cool down in ice water, squeeze out the excess water. Mix the spinach and nori in a blender until a smooth consistency is reached, then pass through the sieve. Mix all ingredients in a bowl before adding butter. Mix until smooth. With the help of a spatula, spread the waffle mix on silicone mats in circular shapes of 10cm (diameter). Ensure you spread as thinly as possible to obtain thin, delicate waffles. Preheat the oven at 180c and bake for 8 minutes until crispy. Cool and serve.
Montage sea urchin
Select the 20 best and most perfect looking sea urchin tongues—the less attractive ones can be used in the bottom of the shell. Place 2½ tongues in the centre of the cooled shells. Cover with the cauliflower mousse shaping a dome, neatly arrange 5 tongues on each cauliflower dome. Then place the shells in the refrigerator for 1 hour to set. After setting, cover each with 2 tbsp of almost set jell-o and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to set.
To serve
Placed the sea urchin shell on shaved ice, garnish with the dulce seaweed. Top each sea urchin with a quenelle of 10g caviar and add the gold leaf on top. Serve the crispy waffle on the side.
Find our more about Richard’s careerand about FOUR’s International Edition.