If we were given money for every time we said how much we miss travelling, we probably would have made enough to get us first class tickets to our dream destination. Although travelling is on hold for a little while longer, it does not mean we can’t recreate some of our favourite memories at home. Seychelles is a destination we love and can’t wait to visit. Constance Ephelia on Mahé – the island with 70 beaches, mysterious mangroves and a spectacular coral reef is a beautiful property that ticks all the right boxes when it comes to the luxury experience.
Since we can’t be at the property as soon as we would like to, we decided to recreate one of Constance Ephelia’s popular dishes – Roast shrimp, avocado tartare with orange. Pair it with the best bubbly from France and all you will miss is the beach.
Talking about the inspiration behind the dish, Gilbert Negro, the Executive Chef at Constance Ephelia says, “The scenic view of the setting sun with its beautiful orange colour reflecting on the lush green bay and the turquoise water surrounding Constance Ephelia was the original inspiration behind the recipe. At the same time, my work experience and mastering the arts of different culinary schools have influenced me to recreate a well-loved dish and present it in a new way. When recreating this recipe, I wanted to use a combination of colours and flavours to send a delicious piece of art to every guest to help them enjoy a taste of the Indian Ocean at their home until situation gets better and everyone can travel again.”
Until we are all clear to travel again, recreating some our favourite travel memories at home will be what are going to indulge in. And we are going to start with one of our favourite dishes.
“I am hoping that diners upon tasting the dish, will feel they’ve travelled to our little paradise at Constance Ephelia. The refreshing orange in the Avocado tartare will surely enhance the mood of the diners while the rich taste of the spices in the shrimp and curry sauce will help them imagining themselves sitting on a beach on Mahe island. With the right preparations and atmosphere, enjoying a good meal will give the same sensation anyone has after returning from a short vacation,” says Chef Negro. We are sure we will!
Roast shrimp, avocado tartare with orange
Ingredients (Serves 4)
Shrimp and marinade:
12 shrimp (size 16/20)
1 white onion
2 cloves of garlic
10 g ginger
2 lemons
1 bunch of coriander
Salt/pepper
Shell the shrimp, retaining the end of the tail. Keep heads for the sauce. Remove the guts. Rinse them under a stream of cold water, drain them and put them onto a small plate. For the marinade, peel and chop the onion and squeeze the cloves of garlic and ginger. Add the crushed coriander and the lemon juice. Season it all. When everything is well mixed, add the shrimp tails and marinate it for one hour.
The tartar avocado with orange:
2 ripe avocados
2 limes
2 oranges
Salt/pepper
Peel the avocados and cut them into small cubes. Add the lemon juice to prevent oxidation, and then season it. Zest the oranges and peel them into segments. Keep the juice. Add some zest to the avocado tartar and to the diced segments. Mix it all together and set it aside.
The light curry sauce:
Olive oil: as required
1 carrot
1/2 celery stalk
1 clove of garlic
2 g curry powder
1 tomato
Orange juice
Butter: as required
Brown the shrimp heads with a little olive oil in a small bowl. Add the carrot and celery cut into cubes, the crushed garlic, curry powder, and the seeded tomato cut into cubes. Mix well and moisten up with water and any remaining orange juice. Cook gently for about 20 minutes and pass this broth through a cheesecloth strainer. Reduce it by half to spice up the broth and add a knob of butter. Mix it, using a small immersion blender, until you get a light mousse.
Finishing and presentation:
Remove the shrimp from the marinade and let them fry on each side with a drizzle of olive oil for 2 minutes. With a stainless-steel rectangular cutter, arrange the avocado tartar in the centre of the plate. Lay out the shrimp tails and finish it all off with a curry sauce mousse.