Potato Gnocchi & Pan-Seared Langoustine Tails

Before starting this Potato Gnocchi and Pan-Seared Langoustine Tails recipe, make sure you have organised all the necessary ingredients.

Cook the potatoes à l'anglaise, starting with salted cold water in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how big the potatoes are.

Using a slicing knife, cut the bacon into thin sticks.

Transfer the bacon into a hot non-stick frying pan without any oil...

... and fry between 2 or 3 minutes over high heat. Set aside.

Insert the blade of a knife in a potato to check whether they are cooked.

When cooked, strain using a colander...

... and set aside to cool.

Peel the potatoes with the tip of a knife while they are still warm. The skin should peel off easily.

Pass the peeled potatoes through a vegetable mill.

Add the whole egg...

... and combine gently with a rubber spatula.

Place the potato mash in the stand mixer recipient and add the flour.

Knead with the flat beater until homogeneous. You can also do this operation by hand but it will be harder to get a homogeneous texture due to its dry consistency.

Season with salt and Espelette pepper (or ground pepper).

Add the grated parmesan...

... and the cold bacon.

Mix again for a few seconds until homogeneous. Mettre la pâte en boule, la fariner légèrement et la laisser reposer au frais.

For the parmesan tuiles: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

In a mixing bowl, combine the parmesan and breadcrumbs with a spatula.

Place the non-stick frying pan over high heat and scoop dollops of preparation with a teaspoon.

The parmesan should quickly melt and form discs. Flip with a small cranked spatula and cook the other side.

When cooked, remove from the pan and arrange on a sheet of greaseproof paper. Let cool. These parmesan tuiles can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container.

For the langoustines: Gently twist the the tail...

... and pull it away from the head. The black part is the roe. The roe is edible and I don't recommend discarding it. It will turn red once cooked.

Grab the tail with both hands and twist the first two segments to separate them from the body.

Break the joint on both sides of the shell.

Once they are no longer attached, remove the segments...

... sliding it gently...

... along the flesh.

This operation is really easy.

Turn the langoustine over...

... and pinch the base of the tail firmly while pulling the shell in one bit.

Arrange the peeled langoustine tails in a food prep tray.

Place one tail on chopping board. Place a sharp sole fillet knife in the centre of the tail lengthwise...

Pull the flesh apart and gently pull the black vein with the tip of the knife to devein the langoustine.
The guts might also come out earlier when you separate the head from the tail.

Repeat with all langoustine tails.

Cover the langoustine tails with cling film and store in the fridge.

Shaping the gnocchi: Remove the dough from the fridge.

On a floured surface, roll the dough into a regular sausage shape.

Flatten the roll a little and cut every 2 cm to create small rectangles.

Using a fork...

... create a groove pattern on the surface of the gnocchi...

... and reserve in the fridge. At this stage, the gnocchi are very delicate. Make sure you don't stack them on top of each other; Rub them with flour so they don't stick.

For the asparagus: Prepare the ingredients.

Remove the small leaves on the stalks. Cut the base and discard.

Slice the asparagus lengthwise with a mandolin, one at a time.

Mind your fingers!

The result should be thin, long slices of asparagus.

Cooking the asparagus: In a non-stick asparagus...

... spread the asparagus at the bottom of the pan.

Immerse the asparagus in water and place the pan over high heat.

Add a few knobs of butter and season with salt and ground pepper.

The asparagus should take only 1 or 2 minutes to cook. They should be cooked but firm.

Taste to check whether they are cooked and adjust the seasoning if needed. I recommend adding a pinch of Espelette pepper.

Transfer the cooked asparagus on paper towel and set aside.

For the roasted langoustine juice: Prepare the ingredients.

Pour the juice in a saucepan...

... and cook over medium heat until reduced by half.

Add the whipping cream and cook for a further 1 or 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. The langoustine is already salted!

Pass the sauce through a siphon sifter and funnel and transfer into a Gourmet Whip siphon.

Close the siphon and add one or two gas cartridges.

Shake hard and keep warm. Place the Gourmet Whip siphon over a bain-marie. If you're using the Thermo Whip, this is not necessary as the siphon is insulated.

Cooking the gnocchi: Heat a saucepan filled with salted water and a dash of olive oil.

Cook the gnocchi in boiling water for one minute. Cook them in several batches so they don't stick.

Flip the gnocchi and cook for one minute on the other side. Remove them from the water with a skimmer, then strain and transfer into a bowl.

Place a non-stick frying pan on the heat and add a good knob of butter.

When the butter is melted, spread the gnocchi at the bottom of the pan in the sizzling butter.

Flip the gnocchi and brown the other side.

Reserve the gnocchi on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Keep warm in the oven preheated at 100°C (gas 1/4).

Cook the langoustines at the last minute before serving. Sprinkle Mycryo cocoa butter at the bottom of the non-stick frying pan. Arrange the langoustine tails flat at the bottom of the pan.

... and maintain them flat with a cranked spatula so they don't curl up.

Flip the langoustine tails and cook on the other side. Cook for maximum 2 minutes on each side.

Assembling the plate: On the serving plates (preferably white), arrange a few gnocchi, asparagus, parmesan tuiles and 4 langoustine tails into a circle.

Decorate with a couple of edible flowers. Follow your imagination.
At the last minute, pipe the hot foam in the centre of the plate. Don't forget to shake the siphon beforehand. I recommend doing this straight on the table in front of your guests as the foam won't last for very long. Bon appétit!