Masterchef UK Professionals
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Esquites with Charred Sweet Corn
Esquites with Charred Sweet Corn, Chipotle Cream, Langoustines, Pan-Fried Scallops and Toasted Coconut.
Sel's starter for the Critics Round was inspired by street food from Guatemala and Mexico. The dish featured sweet corn that was cooked and then charred, folded through a chipotle cream with a touch of mezcal for smokiness. Chopped langoustine flesh was mixed into the creamy base, with pan-fried scallops placed on top. The dish was finished with langoustine oil and toasted coconut seeds, garnished with micro herbs.
{Sel}: "Today I cook for you something called esquites — corn that has been blackened, chipotle cream, touch of mezcal with langoustines, and I also pan-fried scallop and toasted coconut seeds and langoustine oil."
{Marcus}: "He's chopping up the langoustine flesh. It's also creamy with the chipotle cream. He needs to be very careful that it doesn't camouflage the flavour of the langoustine and the beautiful natural sweet scallop sitting on top. Sweet corn itself — love these flavours, and they certainly do work together."
{Monica}: "The first course is influenced by street food from Guatemala and of course in Mexico. The sweet corn is going to be cooked and then charred. Sel has folded the sweet corn through his cream. That's going to bind and bring the sweet corn together."
{Tom Parker Bowles}: "I'm completely mesmerized and blown away by how gorgeous this looks."
{Jimi Famurewa}: "The heat from the chipotle is just right. The smokiness is just right."
{Tom Parker Bowles}: "The scallop is beautifully cooked. Those chunks of langoustine are like little prizes swimming in that fiery chipotle cream. The char he gets on those little popping fresh kernels of corn. Gorgeous."
{Leyla Kazim}: "This has flavour, it has depth, it has texture, it has heat. Everything is perfectly balanced in every single way."
{Marcus}: "I love that creamy sauce and spice running through it. Sweet corn, that lovely langoustine oil, sweet langoustine flesh. It's all mixed in there too. Such beautiful attention to detail. It's delicious."
{Monica}: "Fabulous cooking. Fabulous dish." In the final summary,
{Marcus}: "Sel's first course — the sweet corn was fabulous. Looked good, smelled good, and tasted absolutely delicious. He showed the colours of South America."
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