Spring is the start of a new year when many people like to throw parties to bond and reconnect with family, friends or even business associates. And because of the leap month in the lunar year, there will be two days marking the start of spring making it an auspicious time for couples to marry. The Garden Rooms in The Royal Garden is an ideal place for family, social or business gatherings, and a banquet menu by executive sous chef Calvin Choi provides the perfect fare. Here is a new recipe from chef Choi: savoury fried scampi in cauliflower sauce with sugar snap beans and green asparagus. Now you can share delicious scampi with exquisitely fresh, sweet flavours of a joyful new spring.
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Ingredients (serves four) |
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| Scampi | four |
| Cauliflower | 1kg |
| Agar powder | 10g |
| Fresh milk | 1l |
| Sugar snap beans | 20g |
| Green asparagus | four spears |
| Alfalfa sprouts | small bunch |
| Black pepper | to taste |
| Salt | to taste |
| Sugar | to taste |
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For lobster sauce |
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| Lobster soup | 200ml |
| Florence fennel | 20g |
| Onion | 20g |
| Tarragon | 5g |
| Cardamom | two pods |
| Ginger | 10g |
| Garlic | two cloves |
| Vegetable oil | 100ml |
| Butter | 10g |
Demonstration
Preparation
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Chop cauliflower and stir fry over medium heat until the stems are slightly soft, then sprinkle a little salt and pour in the milk. Simmer until the cauliflower is completely soft, then filter the mixture. Keep both the cauliflower and milk.
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Put the cauliflower and a little of the filtered milk in a blender and puree, adding the milk until the consistency is thick.
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Put the mix in a pan over medium heat and stir in the agar powder. Add a little salt and pepper after the agar has dissolved.
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Pour the mix into a rectangular mould and refrigerate for three hours.
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Clean the scampi and remove shells.
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Chop off scampi heads for later use and remove the intestines (soak up any moisture with kitchen towels). Put the scampi on bamboo skewers and sprinkle on a little salt and pepper.
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Chop the ginger, garlic, onions and fennel then set aside.
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Warm a pan over high heat for about a minute then add oil and scampi heads and simmer until the oil is absorbed. Add butter and stir fry for about 30 seconds before adding ginger, garlic, onion, fennel and cardamom. Keep over medium heat until the vegetables are slightly soft.
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Add lobster soup and tarragon. Keep over low heat for about 20 minutes then filter to get a sauce. Season with salt, pepper and sugar.
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Blanch snap peas and asparagus then drain.
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Fry the scampi on both sides over high heat (a minute per side) and leave to cool.
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Place the snap peas and asparagus in the pan and let warm with the residual heat, then add a little pepper.
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Remove the cauliflower mix from the refrigerator and steam for about five minutes, then cut into four squares and lay on plates.
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Remove the scampi from the skewers and place on top of the cauliflower, then cover with lobster sauce.
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Cut the asparagus into sections and use these with the beans and alfalfa as a garnish.
The Garden Rooms
Address: 2/F, The Royal Garden, 69 Mody Road, Tsimshatsui East, Kowloon
Transport: MTR West Rail East Tsim Sha Tsui station exit P2
Enquiries or reservations (banquet sales): (852) 2733 2007；bqtoff@rghk.com.hk
