A dish for a special occasion - An excellent starter for a decadent menu.

Ingredients

• 250g fresh salmon
• Fish stock (made from fish bones or bought prepared)
• 100g shrimps
• 1 yolk
• 250ml carton cream
• 40g – 50g butter,
• 1 packet frozen puff pastry
• 250ml of dry Champagne
• 1 carton Crème Fraîche
• Lemon juice
• Flour
• 2 shallots
• 1 leek
• 1 bay leaf
• Pepper corns
• Celery
• Salt and white pepper

Preparation

The fish stock:

1. Sauté roughly chopped shallots, leek and celery in a little olive oil. Add the chopped fish bones and let the mixture simmer for 1-2 minutes and add a little white wine or water.
2. (The fish bones and vegetables have to be covered properly.) Now add salt, a bay leaf and peppercorns. Allow to simmer for approx.10–15 minutes. Finally, sieve through a kitchen.

The salmon mousse:

1. Blend the chilled salmon, sea salt, freshly ground white pepper and lemon juice (half a lemon) in a blender. Then add cream, yolk and 30 g cold butter. Blend again for a short time, but as intensively as possible in order to achieve a soft consistency.
2. Transfer the mass from the blender to a fine sieve. Wipe it thoroughly through this sieve in order to ensure that not even a tiny piece of fishbone remains.
3. Use coffee cups or special tins; brush the interior with melted butter and then fill to 75% with salmon mousse. Place the cups or tins in a large pan and pour water into them till the surface is covered with 2-3 cm of liquid. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Poach the salmon for approx. 20-25 minutes.

The Champagne-Crème-Sauce:

1. Reduce the fish stock at medium heat a suitable amount.
2. Add a chopped shallot and a little Crème Fraîche to the fish stock. Let it reduce again on moderate heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Check consistency, if not thick enough, add thickening agent. Allow sauce to simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add Champagne and mix it in the blender with a cold butter.

The fleuron’s:

1. Cut out circles or half moons from the puff pastry and brush them with egg yolk.
2. Bake them according to the instructions on the packaging.
3. Sauté the shrimps with chopped shallots in butter and allow to simmer.

Serving suggestion

Cover the centre of the plate with the Champagne cream sauce, place the salmon mousse in the centre of the plate and cover with the puff pastry and frame with the shrimps.