Vive les Alges – Seaweed Cookery Demonstration with ALGAplus & Chef Hugo Morel

GENIALG partner ALGAplus organised a free public cookery demonstration with Chef Hugo Morel!

GENIALG partner ALGAplus organised a free public cookery demonstration with Chef Hugo Morel on 14 September 2019 in Aveiro, Portugal. French Chef Hugo, demonstrated two delicious recipes from his book, Vive les Algues – Long live algae, using seaweed grown by ALGAplus to show the public how easy and tasty seaweed cuisine is.

Hugo is responsible for product development in the Brittany brand, Bord à Bord which buys seaweed from ALGAplus.

Why not try the delicious seaweed recipes for yourself! Both recipes and photos were taken from the cookbook “Vive Les Algues” from Hugo Morel and TROP MAD editions, available to buy here.

Pesto Alla Genovese

A recipe of Italian origin, known for its powerful and balanced aromas. Here is a different and slightly iodized version.

FOR A POT:

  • 50g fresh basil (or frozen if out of season)
  • 50g desalted sea ​​lettuce
  • 40g pine nuts (can be replaced with cashews or almonds)
  • 100g grated parmesan (parmigiano reggiano)
  • 20g of Pecorino grated (more difficult to find, the recipe is still very good without it)
  • 100g extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic (or 2 depending on your taste)

Traditionally, the recipe is made with mortar, preferably in marble:

  1. Wash the basil leaves and dry, using a salad spinner or on paper towels. Finely chop the sea lettuce.
  2. Put the lightly cut basil, chopped sea ​​lettuce, crushed pine nuts, garlic and salt in the mortar and grind.
  3. When the ingredients begin to be well crushed, add the cheese and slowly pour the olive oil, stirring, like you would a mayonnaise.

FAST version and less traditional!

With a food processor, it’s the same principle but faster (don’t say anything to our Italian friends!):

  1. Wash the basil leaves and dry using a salad spinner or on paper towels.
  2. Put the basil, sea lettuce, pine nuts, garlic and salt in the food processor. Start to blend.
  3. When the ingredients begin to be well blended, add the cheese and slowly pour olive oil while mixing, like you would if it was a mayonnaise.

Hugo’s advice:

  • I use it like a traditional pesto, in pasta, at the end of cooking on a pizza, in a dressing or in quiches… You quickly become addicted!
  • Also used for “wadding breizh wrap”
  • Storage: will last between one and two weeks in a closed container in the refrigerator. Can freeze.

Cordons-Bleus du Moussaillon

The kids love it and so do we! You worm r ez that Ti’Mouss can dote on algebra u are!

Serves four people:

  • 4 turkey or chicken cutlets
  • 8 thin slices of cheese of your choice (for me it’s Beaufort or Comté), you can double the quantity for more delicacies!
  • 8 thin slices of smoked bacon or smoked tofu
  • 1 beautiful leaf of desalinated royal kombu (about 40 cm)
  • 3 eggs
  • Flour
  • 350g breadcrumbs olive oil
  • 1 dab of butter
  • Salt and pepper
  1. If the turkey slices are not thin enough (less than 1⁄2 cm), place a cutlet between 2 sheets of cling film and tap with the bottom of a saucepan or frying pan in order to flatten until you get a regular thickness that is rectangular in shape. If you make the recipe with a chicken breast, you must open it with a knife to have a regular cutlet.
  2. Cut 4 pieces of plastic wrap about 50cm. Place a piece of kombu of about 10 cm on each of the 4 films. Place the bacon slices on top, covering the kombu, add the chicken cutlets, then the two cheese slices. Roll the cutlets to form a “bou-Din”. With the film square, compress this coil by turning the ends. Put in the refrigerator for 30 min.
  3. In a bowl-type container, beat the eggs with a pinch of salt, a turn of the pepper mill or 1 tsp., a tablespoon of olive oil and tablespoon of water.
  4. Remove the food films from the cutlets.
  5. Dip the first cordon bleu in the flour (it must be well covered). Tap to remove the excess. Dip it in the eggs, coating it well, then in the breadcrumbs. Repeat the operation to have a nice, crisp “crust”. Caution: handle the cordon bleu carefully so as not to “peel off” the breadcrumbs. Do the same for the other three cordon bleus.
  6. Preheat your oven to 160 °C. Prepare an oven plate with baking paper.
  7. Brown the cordon bleus in the pan with a drizzle of olive oil and a knob of butter. Brown them evenly (about 5 min). Then place them on the baking sheet and bake for about 30 min. Serve with “apples dauphine” and “ketchup seaweed” (recipe p. 46). If using dry algae: rehydrate them before use!

Hugo’s advice:

  • Use buckwheat flour for more flavour! You can also flavour breadcrumbs with herbs such as oregano or lemon zest.