Recipe - Prawn Carpaccio with Green Apple, Celery & Basil

This dish sounds complicated, but is actually very simple to make. It looks very beautiful and impressive, although it is not cheap. The prawns of Palamos are an exceptional product with a delicate and sweet flavour although you can use another variety of prawn if you prefer, preferably a red prawn. This recipe is inspired by a dish at one of our favourite restaurants, Talla, in Cadaques, which in turn, is inspired by the classic prawn Waldorf salad. The freshness and acidity of the celery, the apple and the lemon help to lift the dish and also provide some welcomed crunch.

Whenever serving raw fish, it is important to freeze and then defrost the fish. This kills any potential parasites or pathogens in the fish, making it safe to eat. The freezing also makes it convenient to shape the carpaccio into a thin and beautiful layer, and also means that you can store the fish more safely and for a longer period of time. Fresh fish should be served as fresh as possible and spend as little time at room temperature as is feasible.

The prawns are dressed with a simple “tiger’s milk” made from the offcuts of the basil, celery and apple, with a squeeze of lemon, and a little fish stock. The acidity and salt of the dressing seasons and also cooks the prawns very lightly, just like in a ceviche.

Serves 2

Ingredients

6 Red Palamos prawns, medium (or use another variety of red prawn)

½ Granny Smith apple, or another sharp apple

1 stick Celery

1 Spring onion

100ml Fish stock

½ Lemon

20g Basil

1 tbsp Basil oil (see this Basil oil recipe), or use olive oil

Flaky sea salt (like Maldon’s)

Method

  1. Peel the prawns. Reserve the heads but discard the shells. Cut the prawns in half through the centre and remove and discard the veins. 

  2. Take a plastic food storage bag, use a sharp knife to cut down two sides of the bag, leaving it connected on one side. Open the bag and place 6 half pieces of the prawns, arranged in a circle, equally spaced. Fold the bag back over to cover the prawns, then place into the freezer, on a flat surface, for the prawns to chill for 5 minutes. Repeat with the other 6 half pieces of prawn in a separate bag.

  3. Remove the bags from the freezer, and use a rolling pin, or a meat tenderiser, to gently flatten the prawns into a flat circular shape. Place the pressed prawn carpaccio back in the freezer until ready to serve.

  4. Cut small 5mm cubes from the apple and the celery. Keep any excess bits of “trim” and put them into a blender.

  5. Pick 18 small and beautiful leaves from the basil. Pop the rest into the blender.

  6. Juice the lemon and blend with the celery and apple trim, the basil, the fish stock, and a pinch of salt. Strain the mixture through a sieve, discard the crud and keep the smooth flavoursome juice. This juice is known in Peruvian cuisine as “tiger’s milk”.

  7. To serve, remove the carpaccio from the freezer and place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to defrost. Open the bags, and place the carpaccio directly onto a plate. 

  8. Dress the carpaccio with the “tiger’s milk”, then garnish with the cubes of apple and celery, and the basil. Finish with a drizzle of basil or olive oil, and a sprinkle of good quality flaky salt.

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Recipe - Ajo Blanco with Frozen Grapes