Chef Eric Guérin’s recipe : hummus with steam-cooked shrimps and vinaigrette

As in his book Migrations, Chef Eric Guérin takes you on a tasty and romantic journey: hummus, steam-cooked king prawns with cumin, honey, tonic and grapefruit vinaigrette. A recipe that is also an invitation to travel and a promise of escape – served in a tender nest, to make you feel as cozy as in his restaurant “Mare aux oiseaux” (The Bird Pond) or his “Jardin des plumes” (Garden of Feathers).

As in his book Migrations, Chef Eric Guérin takes you on a tasty and romantic journey: hummus, steam-cooked king prawns with cumin, honey, tonic and grapefruit vinaigrette. A recipe that is also an invitation to travel and a promise of escape – served in a tender nest, to make you feel as cozy as in his restaurant “Mare aux oiseaux” (The Bird Pond) or his “Jardin des plumes” (Garden of Feathers).

To be prepared with the Varoma of your Thermomix.

To serve 4

HUMMUS

  • 400g / 14 oz chick peas
  • 3 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 15 cl / 5 fl oz olive oil
  • 1 lime
  • 25 cl / 8.5 fl oz broth
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 100 gr / 3.5 oz salt butter
  • Guérande salt, Espelette pepper and ground black pepper

One day before preparing, place chick peas in a large amount of fresh water and leave them for 24 hours.
On the day of cooking, steam cook them for 99 minutes in the lower part of the Varoma, set at 100 with speed on 2.
Right after this is done, place prawns on top part for 15 minutes, then set aside in a cold place.
Place chick peas in the Thermomix bowl – one half after the other, to make sure you get a smooth and thin paste. Then add half sesame oil, half olive oil, half butter, half garlic and cumin, and mix for at least 2 minutes at maximum speed.
Knead thoroughly with a spatula, adjust seasoning by adding salt and pepper, and mix again for 1 minute at max speed.
Set aside and operate likewise with other half, adding one quarter of the lime, then mix and set aside.

KING PRAWNS

  • 4 king prawns
  • 2 avocados
  • 1 pink grapefruit
  • Fresh herbs

Shell and cut prawns in three, peel and dice avocados, add zest and rest of lime. Keep refrigerated.
Peel grapefruit and make segments.

VINAIGRETTE

  • 6 Timut pepper (or black pepper) berries
  • 50cl / 17 fl oz pink grapefruit juice
  • 50 gr / 1 ¾ oz honey
  • 1 dried bird’s eye pepper
  • 1 small can Schweppes tonic
  • 10 cl / 3.5 fl oz olive oil
  • 3 saffron stamens
  • 5 cl / 2 fl oz rice vinegar


Place honey and grapefruit in Thermomix with saffron, 6 Timut pepper berries, and bird’s eye pepper. Raise temperature to 60 ° C / 140 F at speed 2. Then mix for 1 minute at maximum speed to allow tastes to fully bloom.
Let the mix go cold to let spices brew.
When cold, add rice vinegar and Schweppes and whisk into a vinaigrette with olive oil for 1 minute at max speed.

Serving

Form a small bird’s nest in the middle of the plate with hummus.
Place three pieces of prawns – cold or hot or in-between, according to taste.
Cover with seasoned avocado dices and add a few grapefruit segments.
Emulsify vinaigrette and decorate plate with a dash of light.
Add a few fresh leaves and herbs and a dash of Guérande salt.