Seafood platter with green aioli
This dish, from one of the first French cookbooks I bought almost 20 years ago, has been on my list for, obviously, a long time. Even when I had no access to proper scallops and had no idea what their taste was, I knew that this was a dish I would want to try someday. It took me 20 years to get to that point of no return, as once one makes this, so intimidating by looks, yet so easy, one just keeps returning to the joys a plate like this can give.
20 prawns, peeled
2-3 medium slices of cod or any other soft white fish
2-3 medium slices of organic salmon
20 mussels or clams
10 scallops
stock:
400 ml white wine
1800 ml water
45 leek, white parts
1 celery stalk
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1/2 organic lemon
1 shallot, peeled, cut lengthwise
small parsley bunch
10 sprigs thyme
sea salt, to have perfectly salted water
aioli
6 quail eggs
3 garlic cloves, grated
2 tsp finely chopped parsley
1 tsp finely chopped tarragon
1/2 organic lemon zest, finely grated
sea salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
120-140 ml mild extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
Prepare aioli. In a blender or a bowl, place the eggs, garlic, herbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper and blend on slow speed. With the motor still running, VERY SLOWLY add the oil until all the oil is incorporated and the sauce thickens. It is important to add the oil slowly so it does not split. Add juice and mix in. Taste for salt and pepper if you need to add some more. Place in the fridge to rest a bit.
For the seafood stock. Pour water and wine into a pan and add all of the ingredients. Heat until it starts to boil, letting it boil slowly for 3 minutes. Add prawns and boil for 2 minutes. In the meantime, prepare an ice bath, drain the shrimp, and place them in the ice bath right away. Add the cod and salmon to the stock and boil for 2-3 minutes until ready. Lift out and put on a plate. Add scallops and boil for 2-3 minutes. Lift out. Last, but not least, add mussels.
While they are boiling, put aioli in sauce bowls, arrange seafood and fish on a plate you are going to serve on and, when the mussels are ready, lift them out, arrange on top, and serve immediately. Use only mussels that HAVE OPENED, discard the ones that have not.
