Villa Beach's Signature Dish

How to Cook Seared scallops and red mullet, bouillabaisse essence, pea and truffle cream Discuss this article

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The signature dish

Seared scallops and red mullet, bouillabaisse essence, pea and truffle cream
Chef Maurice says: ‘At Villa Beach we focus on simplicity, quality produce and the freshest flavours. This is a traditionally Mediterranean dish using red mullet and fresh seared scallops with influences from the South of France, creating a dish full of flavours perfect for beach-side dining.’

The recipe

Ingredients
(Serves two)

• 120g scallops
• 120g red mullet
• 40g mussels
• 100g prawn shells
• 100g white fish bones
• 60g fennel
• 60g onions
• 60g leeks
• Orange peel of one whole orange
• 20ml olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 150g Roma tomatoes
• 2g saffron
• 120g green peas
• 5ml truffle oil
• 60ml cream
• 200ml fish stock
• 2g saffron strands
• 2 large Désirée potatoes

Method
1 In a sauce pot, over medium heat, add olive oil, onion, fennel and garlic.
2 Cook until the onions start to caramelise, add tomatoes, orange peel and sweat for a further four minutes.
3 Add thyme, bay leaf, mussels, half the fish stock and saffron and then add the fish bones and prawn shells.
4 Bring to the boil, then simmer for 45 minutes. Next, strain through a fine strainer.
5 Place the broth in a saucepan and reduce the sauce by one third. Next, add 20ml of cream to the sauce.
6 Now peel the potatoes and cut into rectangular shapes.
7 Heat up the rest of the fish stock in a small pot and add the remaining saffron.
8 Once the stock comes to the boil, add the potatoes and simmer for 25 minutes – check to see if the potato is cooked.
9 Keep warm on the side until you’re ready to serve.
10 Sweat the chopped onions in a small pot with a little butter and then add green peas to the pot and reduce the heat.
11 After two minutes, transfer the items into a food processor with a dash of cream and a drop of truffle oil and season to taste.
12 Season the scallops and red mullet and sear them. Finish them under a hot grill.
13. Warm the fish sauce and then use a hand blender to emulsify and spoon onto the plate.
14. Arrange the fish sauce, pea truffle cream, saffron potatoes, scallops and mullet according to the picture.

The chef

Name: Maurice Fitzgerald
Nationality: Irish

Chef Maurice has worked within the Jumeirah group since 2004. Beginning as chef de cuisine at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, he then moved on to Madinat Jumeirah and worked his way up to executive chef. Before this he travelled from country to country, working at several prestigious hotels within Austria, Switzerland and Ireland, collecting awards on his way. He now works as executive chef at Jumeirah Beach Hotel.