Colossal Shrimp with Caramelized Endives and Endive Foam

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the caramelized endives:

2 endives (about 4 ounces each)
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the endive foam:

4 ounces endive trimmings
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup fish stock
1/2 cup whipping cream
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the shrimp:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
24 colossal shrimp (about 2 pounds), peeled and deveined
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Method:

To cook the endive:

Bring a large saucepan of water to 140 °F/60°C, or just below a simmer, over medium-high heat. Decrease the heat to low so that water does not simmer but remains hot. Add the endive and cook for 2 hours, or until the endives are tender and no longer bitter. Drain the endives and allow to cool.

Just before serving, cut the endives in half lengthwise and drizzle each half with 1 teaspoon of honey.

In a heavy large sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Place the endives in the pan cut side down and cook for 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn the endives and cook for 1 minute longer. Sprinkle to taste with salt and pepper.

To make endive foam:

In another large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat until pale golden, about 1 minute. Add the endive, sugar and honey, and sauté for 8 minutes, or until the endive is soft and the honey and sugar have formed a golden brown sauce.  Add the stock and simmer for 10 minutes, or until reduced by half. Add the cream and bring to a near simmer.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the sauce to cool slightly.  Transfer the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth.  Pass the sauce through a fine-meshed sieve and into a small saucepan.  Reheat the sauce over medium heat. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

To cook the shrimp:

Meanwhile, in a separate large non-stick sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over high heat. Add 12 shrimp and sauté 1 minute per side.  Season prawns with sea salt and black pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of parsley and 1 tablespoon of butter, and toss to coat until the juice evaporates and the shrimp are cooked through, about 1 minute longer.

Transfer the shrimp to plates. Tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining butter, shrimp, lemon juice and parsley.

To Serve:

Interlock 2 shrimp and arrange 3 interlocked shrimp bundles on each of 4 plates. Place the caramelized endive cut side up alongside the shrimp on the plates.

Using an immersion hand blender, blend the warm endive sauce to form a foamy consistency.  Drizzle the foamy sauce over and around the shrimps and serve.

Oven Baked Apples with Coconut, Maple Syrup and Lime

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
2/3 cup of butter
1/2 cup of maple syrup
2 cups of shredded unsweetened coconut
4 Granny Smith apples

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 °F/200 °C.   In a heavy medium saucepan, cook the sugar over medium heat without stirring for 5 minutes, or until melted.  Stir in the lime juice. Add the butter and maple syrup, and stir until well blended and the mixture thickens slightly, about 8 minutes. Stir in the coconut. Remove from the heat.

Slice each apple into 4 horizontal rings and remove the core. Working with 1 apple at a time and using about 1/2 cup of coconut mixture for each, place the bottom apple piece on a 12-inch square sheet of foil. Spoon some of the coconut mixture over the apple piece. Repeat layering the apple pieces and coconut mixture.

Carefully wrap the apple stacks in the foil and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the apples are crisp-tender and juices have formed in the foil packages.

Peel back the foil from each apple to expose the apples but cradle the juices. Continue baking 15 minutes longer, or until the coconut mixture is golden brown and the apples are very tender.

Transfer each package to a large plate. Tear away the foil, allowing the sauce to pool onto the plates. Gently slide the apples atop the sauce and serve.

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