With its pickled seaweed, caviar, and dashi foam, this mini lasagna looked and tasted like you really were next to the ocean. Truly an ocean-themed seafood lasagna. And it did what an appetiser is supposed to do - excite the palate - and appetite - ready for the next course.
Add the sugar and boiling water to a bowl and stir well until the sugar dissolves.
Add the vinegar and pinch of salt to the bowl and stir.
Add the dried seaweed, stir, and allow to sit for at least one hour.
Drain the pickling liquid from the seaweed before use.
Lasagna noodle and carrot puree
Soak the lasagna sheets in the dashi for 2 hours or until needed.
Cut the lasagna sheets to the desired size (about 4cm by 16cm)
Bring the lasagna sheets and dashi to a boil. Cook until al dente, 3 minutes or so. Drain and carefully toss with the grape-seed oil to prevent sticking and to add a nice sheen.
Coarsely chop the carrot and poach in the dashi until soft.
Remove the carrot from the dashi. Mash or puree and set aside.
Scallops
Sear the scallops quickly on both sides, 1.5 minutes per side.
Cut the scallops through the middle, so it looks like we have two shorter (less thick) scallops.
Dashi foam
After cooking the lasagna and carrot, add the soy lecithin to the dashi in a high sided container.
Use an immersion blender to blend this mixture until a foam forms.
Plating
Lay a lasagna sheet on a plate. Smear a little carrot puree at one end.
Add a scallop half on top of the carrot, seared side up.
Spoon some pickled seaweed on to the scallop. You will need to do this 12 times (6 servings), so only add enough seaweed and carrot so that you do not run out later.
Fold the lasagna over the scallop and add some more carrot puree and the other half scallop, seared side up.
Again, spoon some pickled seaweed on to the scallop.
Bring the final length of lasagna over the top of the scallop.
Add a tsp of caviar and a piece of sea grape to the top.