“After the winter, long-awaited tender spring shoots, herbs, and greens appear, both wild and farmed. There are plants with different character, texture, and flavour — some sweet, peppery, sour; some with liquorice notes, more herbal characteristics, or minty, citrusy, grassy notes.
“Mixing cultivated greens with wild ones usually creates a perfect balance of flavours. Wild shoots, cresses, sorrels, and other greens often appear before cultivated ones, because they are better at withstanding the shifting temperature in spring. Wild plants have to fight for their own survival and I believe you can taste that. At the early part of the growing season, the greens change character at a rapid pace and consequently so will this dish. The plants, herbs, and wildflowers used will be replaced by other ones. We use plants picked the same day, where you can still taste the vitality in them. The scallop roe, of course too, should be very, very fresh.” – Fredrik Berselius, aska.
INGREDIENTS
For the scallop roe emulsion:
- 50g scallop roe, fat and red
- 2 egg yolks
- 15ml white vinegar
- 500ml neutral oil
- Salt
For the breadcrumbs:
300g bread, a little old, crusts removed
100g butter, melted
To serve:
4 long, flexible nasturtium stems
A variety of in-season herbs and greens, edible in their entirety
METHOD
For the scallop roe emulsion: In a food processor, process the scallop roe, egg yolks, and white vinegar. With the machine running, steadily stream in the oil to emulsify. Season with salt. Let infuse for 1 hour before passing through a chinois. Keep cold until ready to use.
For the breadcrumbs: Preheat the oven to 175°C. Rip the bread into manageable pieces. In a high-powered blender, process the bread to about crumbs. With the machine running, stream in the butter. Spread the processed crumbs onto a parchment-lined tray. Bake the breadcrumbs for 7 minutes. Cool completely. Return to the blender and process the breadcrumbs for a few more seconds.
To serve: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Trim the stems of nasturtium to act as twine. Blanch the stems for 3 seconds, shock in an ice bath, and pat dry. Wrap the herbs in a bouquet and tie with the blanched nasturtium stems. On one side of a medium plate, drop 1/2 a quenelle of the scallop roe emulsion. Fill in the dollop with the breadcrumbs, adjacent. Serve the bundle of herbs alongside on the plate.
Recipe extracted from aska, By Fredrik Berselius, Published by Phaidon RRP £39.99
