Snacked langoustine & its bisque, potimarron, hazelnut praline, preserved lemon

Laurent Prat | 2/8/23

serves 4

Preparation time: 50 min

Cooking time: 1 h 25

12 French langoustines 16/20
1 lime
1 pumpkin
2 onions
200 g butter
50 g Valrhona hazelnut praline
1 lemon confit with Menton salt
2 carrots
50 g tomato paste
15 cl cognac (or armagnac)
2 star anise
250 cl cream
250 cl milk
20 g Colonnata bacon
20 g hazelnuts
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
Salt

1 - Peel the langoustines, keeping just the tails. Keep the carcasses for the bisque, and set aside in a cool place.

2 - Prepare the bisque: sweat the carcasses in butter until golden brown, then add the peeled and thinly sliced carrots, 1 thinly sliced onion and the garlic, and sweat again. Add the tomato paste and cook slightly. Add the cognac, flambé, then add the star anise. Moisten with water to the level of the carcasses, cook gently for 20 min, add the cream and milk, reduce slightly and blend with an immersion blender, strain through a chinois or colander. Adjust the seasoning.

3 - Make a pumpkin pur&e acute;e: cut half the pumpkin into pieces, chop half an onion, sweat gently with a little butter and add a little water, leave to cook for 15 min, until the water has evaporated, then blend until the purée is smooth. Season to taste.

4 - Prepare the roasted pumpkin quarters: cut 4 quarters from the remaining half-pumpkin, season with salt and cook a la plancha (or in a frying pan) with a little olive oil. Finish cooking in the oven at 180°C (gas mark 6), after coloring both sides.

5 - Presentation: brown the langoustines on one side only, salt them and add the lime zest. Place the pumpkin purée on the plate, a quarter of roasted pumpkin, 3 scampi, a shaving of Colonnata bacon, a few pieces of lemon confit with Menton salt, 3 dots of hazelnut praline, a few crushed hazelnuts on top and pour the bisque all around.