Langoustine gratin
This elegant gratin has a layer of brunoise vegetables in the bottom, with langoustine tails (scampi) cooked in two stages on top, finished with a thick creamy sauce, made with the "fumet" from the langoustines.
This recipe is quite long to make, but can be prepared in stages over a number of days. The end result is well worth all the effort.
This recipe is quite long to make, but can be prepared in stages over a number of days. The end result is well worth all the effort.
85 K 4.3/5 (40 reviews)
2 hours 15 min.
Average
6 people
14 IngredientsLast modified on: December 30th 2019
For 6 people, you will need:
- 1
1 kg 500 g langoustines (scampi) - 2
1 bouquet garni - 3
30 g onion - 4
30 g butter - 5
200 ml water - 6
200 ml dry white wine - 7
2 carrots - 8
3 turnips - 9
1 courgette - 10 30 g butter
- 11
250 ml liquid cream - 12
20 g cornflour - 13
salt - 14
pepper - Total weight: 3,175 grams
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 1 hour 35 min.
Cooking: 45 min.
All in all: 2 hours 15 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 20 min.
Boiling the langoustines
Boil the langoustiens for 30 seconds in boiling salted water, then cool under running cold water.Shell them and set aside the tails. Keep half the heads for making the fumet.
Stage 2 - 5 min.
Stage 3 - 2 min.
Melt 30 g butter in a large saucepan on medium heat, then add the chopped onion, salt and pepper.
Cook for 1 minute without colouring.
Cook for 1 minute without colouring.
Stage 4 - 1 min.
Add the langoustine heads...
Stage 5 - 2 min.
... and crush briefly with the end of a rolling pin, for example.
Stage 6 - 1 min.
Pour in 200 ml water and 200 ml dry white wine, then add the bouquet garni.
Stage 7 - 5 min.
Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to its lowest setting and leave to reduce by half.
This simmering will create the "fumet", as the liquids (water and wine) mingle with the flavours of the bouquet garni and langoustine heads.
This simmering will create the "fumet", as the liquids (water and wine) mingle with the flavours of the bouquet garni and langoustine heads.
Stage 8 - 40 min.
The vegetable brunoise
While the fumet is reducing, rinse and peel 2 carrots and 3 turnips, then dice very small ("fine brunoise").Rinse the courgette and cut the part with the green skin into tiny dice (you can use the leftover courgette in another recipe).
I have to admit, this is a long, arduous task!
Stage 9 - 5 min.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.
Immerse a fine metal strainer, which will enable you to remove the vegetables quickly.
Immerse a fine metal strainer, which will enable you to remove the vegetables quickly.
Stage 10 - 1 min.
Toss the diced courgettes into the water, wait until the pan comes back to the boil, then remove them immediately by simply lifting out the strainer.
Stage 11 - 1 min.
Cool the diced courgettes under running cold water to stop the cooking...
Stage 12 - 2 min.
...drain thoroughly, then tip out onto absorbant paper to wait.
Stage 13 - 5 min.
Do the same with the carrots and turnips, which can be cooked together, and for 30 seconds longer than the courgettes.
Note: Don't throw this cooking water away - it is now worth keeping.
Note: Don't throw this cooking water away - it is now worth keeping.
Stage 14 - 4 min.
Stage 15 - 3 min.
The gratin cream sauce
Let's go back to the fumet, which by now should be reduced by half. Strain into a bowl and discard everything but the liquid.Stage 16 - 2 min.
Pour this back into the pan (after rinsing out), but be careful to keep back the dregs of the fumet which will be full of sand and should be discarded.
Stage 17 - 8 min.
Put the fumet back on medium heat and leave to reduce by half again.
Stage 18 - 3 min.
Add 250 ml liquid cream, salt lightly, pepper and then check the seasoning.
Stage 19 - 2 min.
Stage 20 - 4 min.
Assembling the gratin
Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).Butter a gratin dish and spread the mixed diced vegetables in an even layer.
Stage 21 - 2 min.
Arrange the sautéed langoustine tails on top.
Stage 22 - 2 min.
Pour the sauce over.
Stage 23 - 15 min.
Cooking and serving
Bake for about 15 minutes, until the top is nicely browned (finish under the grill if necessary).Stage 24
Best served plated up (on hot plates): try to keep the langoustines on top and the vegetables underneath.
Remarks
As I was saying, this recipe takes a long time, but much of it can be prepared in advance. Only the assembly of the gratin and final cooking need to be done just before serving.
You will see that in stage 19 the cream is not reduced, but thickened with cornflour instead. This is to keep a decent quantity of sauce without it being too liquid, otherwise it would run into the bottom of the dish.
If you are happy with the idea, you can dispense with boiling the langoustines in salated water in stage 1 and shell them raw before the sauté stage (stage 14).
To simplify the recipe, just slice the vegetables thinly instead of cutting into brunoise dice.
You will see that in stage 19 the cream is not reduced, but thickened with cornflour instead. This is to keep a decent quantity of sauce without it being too liquid, otherwise it would run into the bottom of the dish.
If you are happy with the idea, you can dispense with boiling the langoustines in salated water in stage 1 and shell them raw before the sauté stage (stage 14).
To simplify the recipe, just slice the vegetables thinly instead of cutting into brunoise dice.
Keeping: Should be eaten immediately.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 270 RDI=100 % | 80 RDI=8 % | 160 RDI=30 % | 2,880 RDI=140 % | 12,040 RDI: 140 % |
| Per 100 g | 8 RDI=3 % | 2 RDI=0 % | 5 RDI=1 % | 90 RDI=5 % | 380 RDI: 5 % |
| Per person | 50 RDI=20 % | 10 RDI=1 % | 30 RDI=4 % | 480 RDI=20 % | 2,010 RDI: 20 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 6 people : £24.10
- Per person : £4.05
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Langoustines (scampi)
Like these other recipes: Chilli langoustines, Langoustine sabayon tart, Sesame fried scampi, Turban of sole with langoustines, Langoustine and leek tarts, ... See them all 6
Liquid cream
Like these other recipes: Pork medallions with "full" turnips, Beurre blanc sauce, Smoky sausage and mash, Apricot fool, Pistachio ice cream, ... See them all 170
Dry white wine
Like these other recipes: Jura bread, Rillons de Tours, Purple artichokes braised in white wine, Mushrooms on toast, French style, Turmeric risotto, ... See them all 69
Water
Like these other recipes: Olive and pesto bread, Choux pastry (pâte à choux), Praline, How to prepare Jerusalem artichokes, Provençal braised carrots, ... See them all 137
Other recipes you may also like
Tiramisu
Classic italian recipe (the name means "pull me up" or more poetically, "take me up to the sky"). It's similar to a charlotte in its structure: layers of flavoured biscuits between layers of smooth cream. July 27th 2013514 K5 50 min.
Belle-helene in a glass
It's a recipe where you make 4 layers of different creams in a small glass: vanilla cream, small dice of pear cooked in maple syrup, chocolate mousse and whipped cream. It should be served to your guests cool but not too cold . February 21th 2011269 K3.8 1 hour 50 min.
European glass
A little dessert that's rather long to make, but which will always impress your guests. Layered in a glass: a jellied red fruit coulis, a layer of pineapple charlotte cream, a layer of kiwi coulis, topped with a peeled clementine segment. It's "european" because it resembles the italian flag, and in another version with apricot instead raspberries, the irish flag (a country so dear to me). August 15th 2010242 K5 2 hours 30 min.
Macarons (the original French macaroons)
This recipe really is "of the moment": the success of these small, highly-coloured cakes, in an infinite variety of flavours, is impressive. It's a recipe which needs some care, in order to produce a result worthy of a professional pastrychef. No problem, I will guide you through the recipe, particularly the tricky parts. This variety of flavours means that I test many alternatives, so don't be surprised if in the pictures the colour of the macarons changes, I used the best photograph available... October 3rd 20191.61 M 714.6 2 hours 40 min.
Almond cream
Light and delicious, it is used in a lot of desserts like tarts, cakes and pies (epiphany galette). August 31th 2025483 K 25 20 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-10-12)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.