Langoustine, Leek and Red Pepper Rougaille, With Nespresso Coffee

Recently, Nespresso hosted a cook-along showcasing three chefs who were challenged to come up with recipes, showing off their craftsmanship alongside Nespresso. Their aim was to hero one of the five new Nespresso Master Origin variants in their food and drink recipes.

The three chefs involved were Wandile Mabaso, who used the India variant, and made a Nespresso Pumpkin Baumkuchen, J’Something who created a selection of beverage recipes, including a delicious coffee G&T used the Nicuragua variant and Gregory Czarnecki incorporated the Columbia variant.

Chef Gregory Czarnecki, the award-winning Executive Chef at The Restaurant at Waterkloof in Somerset West, created a Langoustine, leek, and red pepper rougaille, with Nespresso Coffee.  “I always describe my style of cooking as a contemporary minimalist. I believe that perfection is reached not when there is nothing more to add but rather nothing left to take away. I like to showcase the ingredients and let them speak for themselves. I created this recipe following this philosophy: the subtle and delicate flavour of the langoustines combined with sweetness and green flavour of the leek,  brought together with the coffee foam. I chose the Nespresso Master Origin Columbia because I needed a balanced coffee. The fruity flavour of this coffee brings dimension to the dish and it added the right acidity to complement the langoustine and leek combination,” says Czarnecki.

Ingredients:

• 12 langoustines 
• 2 leeks 
• 1 red pepper 
• 4 egg yolks 
• 1 Nespresso Master Origin Columbia capsule 
• 200g butter, softened 
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper 

Preparation: 

Burn the red pepper with a blowtorch or with the flame from your gas-top. Make sure all the skin is burned. Place the red pepper into a plastic bag, close the bag by making a knot, and let the steam do the rest. 

After a couple of minutes the skin should be coming off very easily. Clean the red pepper under running water, rinsing off all of the black skin. Cut the red pepper flesh in little cubes of 5 mm x 5 mm, discarding the inside and seed. 

Set aside.

Cut the leeks in two lengthwise and rinse them under running water. Halve each, cutting down the middle lengthwise, then cut into pieces roughly 1 cm x 1cm. 

In a pan, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil and start cooking the leek until caramelized. Add the red pepper and keep pan-frying for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

To prepare the langoustines, peel off the shell, keeping the last ring and tail. Remove the intestinal tube running down the langoustine flesh with the tip of a paring knife, making a little incision by the tail. Once fully clean, set aside in the fridge. 

Pull a ristretto with a capsule of Master Origin Columbia. Allow to cool and mix it with the softened butter until you get a smooth mixture. Place in the fridge to harden.

Once hardened, cut the butter into small cubes and keep refrigerated. 

Place a small amount of water in a large pot and bring the water to a simmer. 

In a large bowl, place the 4 egg yolks, 3 tablespoons of water, and season with salt and pepper. 

Place the bowl on top of the pot and start whisking until ribbons form. Add the butter, one cube at a time, until they are all emulsified. Adjust seasoning to taste and keep warm. 

Season the langoustines and sear them on both sides in a pan with hot olive oil – about one minute per side. Plate by placing rougaille of leek and red pepper on the bottom of the plate. Place the seared langoustine on top, and glaze them with a spoon of the foamy coffee sauce.