Seared sea bass with lobster ravioli, artichoke puree and lobster sauce
Classical French cuisine thrives on powerful sauces, uncompromising product quality and precise craftsmanship. Frédéric Morel shows how timeless these values are with dishes reduced to the essentials yet full of depth, a quiet tribute to haute cuisine marked by balance, finesse and respect for the product. For this 3-course-menu he presents a refined first course: seared sea bass with lobster ravioli, artichoke puree and lobster sauce, where the delicate sweetness of lobster meets the earthy notes of artichoke to open the meal with lightness and elegance. If this dish intrigues you, the remaining courses await further down the page.
For the Lobster Ravioli
Pre-cook the lobster in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, then cool in ice water.
Remove the meat and dice it.
Mix with ricotta, tarragon, lemon zest, salt and cayenne pepper.
Roll out the dough, add the filling and shape into ravioli.
Brush with egg yolk and set aside.
| 1 (ca. 600 g.) | Fresh Lobster |
| 150 g. | Ricotta or Crème fraîche |
| 1 tbsp. | Finely chopped Tarragon |
| 1 tsp. | Lemon zest |
| Salt, Cayenne Pepper | |
| 1 | Egg yolk for brushing |
| Fresh Pasta dough (Rolled out thin) |
For the Rich Lobster Sauce
Roughly chop the shells and sear them intensely in oil.
Add the vegetables and tomato paste, allowing them to caramelize.
Flambé with cognac, deglaze with white wine and reduce.
Add stock, simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, strain and reduce to one third.
Refine with cream, cook down again, and just before serving, whisk in cold butter.
| Lobster shells | |
| 1 | Carrot |
| 1 Stalk | Celery |
| 1 | Shallot |
| 1 tbsp. | Tomato paste |
| 100 ml. | Cognac |
| 200 ml. | White Wine |
| 500 ml. | Shellfish or Fish stock |
| 200 ml. | Cream |
| 50 g. | Butter, Ice-cold and diced |
For the Artichoke Purée
Trim the artichokes and cook them with the potato until soft, then blend with butter and cream.
Season with salt and lemon juice.
| 3 | Large Artichokes |
| 1 | Small floury Potato |
| 50 g. | Butter |
| 80 ml. | Cream |
| Salt | |
| Lemon juice |
For the Seared Baby Artichokes
Halve them, sauté in oil until golden brown, and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
| 8 | Baby Artichokes |
| Oil | |
| Salt | |
| Pepper | |
| Lemon juice |
For the Sea Bass
Sear the fillets skin-side down until crispy, flip briefly and cook only a short moment on the flesh side.
| 4 (approx. 150 g. each) | Sea Bass Fillets (skin on, from Brittany) |
| Fleur de Sel, White Pepper | |
| Oil | |
| Some | Butter |
Last step for the Ravioli
Let the ravioli cook gently in simmering salted water for 2 to 3 minutes.
For the Plating
Spread the artichoke purée on the plate.
Place the sea bass on top.
Arrange the ravioli and baby artichokes alongside.
Spoon the lobster sauce over the dish.
Garnish with bronze fennel, tagetes blossoms, orange zest and sea fennel.
| Bronze Fennel | |
| Tagetes Blossom | |
| Orange Zest | |
| Sea Fennel |
