Squid Ink Pasta alla Chitarra with Espelette, Osetra Caviar, Uni and Lobster Emulsion
Recipe courtesy of Ailee Apac, CEC, Restaurant Chef, Cosmos Club (Washington, D.C.)
Ingredients
- Ingredients for pasta dough:
- 00 flour - 400 gms
- semolina - 20 gms.
- egg yolks - 15 ea.
- squid ink - 40 gms.
- white wine - 15 gms.
- salt - 2 gms.
- Ingredients for uni emulsion:
- shallot - 8 ozs., sliced
- garlic - 2 cloves
- thyme - 2 bunches
- bay leaf - 1 ea.
- white wine - 5 ozs.
- lobster stock - 160 ozs.
- heavy cream - 2 ozs.
- crème fraiche - 2 ozs.
- broken uni - 50 gms., frozen
- Ingredients for garnish:
- fresh uni
- Osetra caviar
- micro sorrel
- citrus zest
- olive oil
Instructions
Procedure for pasta dough:
- On a cutting board, mix the 00 flour and semolina.
- Make a well. Add egg yolk, squid ink, white wine, and salt.
- Whisk the wet ingredients with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour until it becomes a shaggy dough.
- Knead 8-10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and uniformly black.
- Wrap tightly and rest at least 30 minutes (1 hour preferred).
- Roll dough to about 2 mm thickness.
- Cut with a chitarra.
- Dust lightly with semolina so strands stay separate.
Procedure for uni emulsion:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, gently sweat the shallots, garlic, thyme and bay leaf in a touch of neutral oil or butter until softened and translucent, without allowing them to color.
- Add the white wine and bring to a simmer. Reduce à sec—until nearly dry—leaving just a thin, syrupy glaze at the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in the lobster stock and bring back to a simmer. Reduce by about one-third to concentrate the flavor.
- Add the heavy cream and crème fraîche. Continue to simmer gently for 5 minutes to fully marry and round out the flavors. Avoid boiling to prevent separation.
- Pass the mixture through a chinois, pressing lightly to extract the liquid while leaving behind aromatics and solids. Return the strained sauce to a clean saucepan.
- Transfer the hot liquid to a Vita-Prep. Add the uni and blend on high until completely smooth, glossy, and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Keep the emulsion warm—never boiling—until ready to dress the pasta.
To plate:
- Twirl the pasta: Using tong, lift a portion of the cooked squid ink chitarra and twirl it into a tight, vertical nest. Place the nest in the center of a shallow bowl.
- Spoon the warm uni emulsion carefully around the base of the pasta nest, forming a smooth, even “halo” that slightly pools around the edges. Ensure the sauce doesn’t cover the top of the pasta entirely.
- Place one piece of uni on top of the pasta.
- Place a small spoonful (or a few carefully spaced pearls) of Osetra caviar directly on top of the pasta nest.
- Sprinkle a few micro herbs lightly over the top. Add citrus zest for brightness.
- Drizzle with a high-quality olive oil.
