VARIATIONS ON LEMON
Happy Tuesday, straw hats...
We're still with Ludovic today, and with Scott! Remember I told you about him and his magic bar in my last portrait of good people? Well, for the record, on our first date with Ludovic, after getting to know each other, we exchanged our wonderful addresses and other good tips, as if we were playing cards, and he asked me if "in the secret address family" I didn't know of a cool place to go for cocktails... I quickly identified the lover of fine and good things, and I had in my deck the ultimate joker "the dirty dick" whose address I entrusted to him with my eyes closed... What a good idea! I realize that between our two dates Ludovic often goes to this little bar and that he quickly becomes buddies with Scott, which makes me smile, but in the end, life works out well...
One evening I meet Ludovic at the Dirty Dick, we plan our special week together, under Scott's watchful eyes, and very naturally Scott offers to make the cocktail that will accompany Ludovic's dish. It's a no-brainer, a cocktail as an accompaniment, but why not, I trust them. The only thing I ask is that both recipes include lemon.
Two weeks later, the three of us meet up at Ludovic's. I arrive with my photographer's apprentice gear, and I can't tell you what a slap in the face we all got. It was brilliant, both their brains on fire, mine thinking he was a collection coordinator, adding his grain of salt and sesame here and there... The plates were set out, the cocktails shaken to the smooth, jazzy rhythms of Mélody GarDot. We sit, we taste, we drink, we say nothing, we smile, we're happy. And then an "Ooooh damn, it's fuckiiiing good" finally comes out of Scott's mouth. That lunchtime, a kind of culinary alchemy took hold of us. Let me share with you the secrets of these recipes that will make your taste buds go wild. It's fine, delicate and subtle...in short, treat yourself.
Cabillaud , geleé de saké et citron or Make my lemon jelly and had some beautiful cod on it !!!!
for 4 people, you'll need:
- 100 g cod fillets
- 2 tbsp Saké
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 sheet gelatin
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 organic lime
- 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
- salt, freshly ground pepper
In a saucepan, heat 5 tablespoons of water with the sake and lemon juice, but be careful not to boil the mixture. Add a sheet of gelatin soaked in cold water. Blend the mixture and pour into a small-diameter soup dish, sprinkle with a few black sesame seeds and chill for 2 hours.
Once the jelly has set, thinly slice the cod and place gently on the jelly. Brush a little olive oil over the fish, then season with salt and pepper. And for the finishing touch, place a few zests of green lemon on the fish. Enjoy!
And for the "Spicy Coriander" cocktail, you'll need..:
- 2cl green lemon
- 2cl honey syrup (1/2 hot water and 1/2 honey)
- 2cl Pierre Ferrand Dry curaçao (you can also use cointreau or Grand Marnier)
- 5cl good tequila (100% agave) infused with red chili pepper (to infuse, place a red chili pepper in a glass for 5 to 10 minutes; the longer it infuses, the stronger it becomes...)
- 6 to 7 chopped coriander leaves (to intensify flavour).
It's very simple: place everything in a shaker with ice cubes and shake for 10 seconds. Strain the ice cubes and coriander leaves into a beautiful glass.
A little tip for decorating the glass: mix a pinch of fleur de sel, a pinch of black sesame and a pinch of dried coriander, take a lime wedge and squeeze it all around your glass. On an upside-down cup, place the mixture you've just made and swirl your glass in the spices. The lemon will act as a binding agent. Pour and enjoy! Bamboo straws are available from Merci at 111 boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris.
