Saffron Cockles with Lemongrass Gel (Original video)

Ingredients:

• 1 kg cockles
• 1 shallot
• 3 springs of thyme
• 300 g white wine
• 15 stems of saffron
• Splash of oil
• 10 g glucose
• 50 g isomalt sugar
• 15 g potato starch
• 2 g salt
• 100 g ginger
• 100 g laos
• 2 limes
• 5 pieces of lemongrass
• 200 g sugar
• 200 g water
• 200 g white wine vinegar
• 6 g agar powder
• 1 turnip
• East Indian cherry

Instructions:

1. Rinse the cockles under cold water for 30 minutes.
2. Chop the shallot and add it to a pan with thyme, white wine, and saffron. Heat to 80°C and let it marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Drain the cockles and cook them in a pan with oil for 30 seconds. Add the saffron broth and cook until the cockles open up. Drain and let cool in the fridge.
4. Clarify the liquid by pouring it through a sieve lined with kitchen paper.
5. In a pan, mix 170 g of the liquid with glucose, isomalt sugar, potato starch, and salt. Bring to a boil while stirring, then pour into a bowl and let it set in the fridge.
6. Slice the ginger, laos, and lemongrass and add them to a saucepan with sugar, water, and white wine vinegar. Bring to a boil and let it cool down. Drain and mix with agar powder. Bring to a boil, pour into an oven dish, and let it set in the fridge. Blend until smooth and put it in a piping bag.
7. Spread the saffron mixture on a silicone sheet and dry at 110°C for 70 minutes. Shape it between two warm tot molds.
8. Remove the cockles from the shells and cut the ends off. Cut the turnip into small brunoise and season with lemongrass gel.
9. Fill the turtlenecks with the turnip brunoise, add the cockles on top, pipe some of the gel in between, and finish with East Indian cherry.