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Recipe

Scarlet Prawn Tartare, Leek Emulsion, and Spicy Cracker

Serves

10

Active Time

25 MIN

Origin

ALENTEJO

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Scarlet Prawn Tartare, Leek Emulsion, and Spicy Cracker

During tomato season, there are no bad cooks.

— PORTUGUESE SAYING

The title of this recipe might lead a less kitchen-savvy reader to think they are going to eat raw scarlet prawns (carabineiros). That is a total misconception. Foods rich in protein, when subjected to acidic marinades, become cooked in a certain way. This is exactly what happens in this recipe. I take this opportunity to remind you that among us, most seafood suffers from prolonged cooking times, which strips away its flavor and completely destroys its texture. This scarlet prawn tartare preserves all the flavor of the shellfish, enhanced here by the addition of raw olive oil and just a thread of lemon juice.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients

Serves 10

  1. For the tartare:
  2. Scarlet prawns (carabineiros), medium — 30 units
  3. Dry tomato — 50 g
  4. Onion — 20 g
  5. Lemon juice — as needed (q.b.)
  6. Extra virgin olive oil — as needed (q.b.)
  7. Dijon mustard — as needed (q.b.)
  8. Chives — as needed (q.b.)
  9. White pepper from a mill — as needed (q.b.)
  10. Fleur de sel — as needed (q.b.)
  11. For the emulsion:
  12. Leek (alho francês) — 100 g
  13. Lemon juice — as needed (q.b.)
  14. Extra virgin olive oil — as needed (q.b.)
  15. For the spicy cracker:
  16. Coral from the scarlet prawns
  17. Flour — 160 g
  18. Baking powder — 5 g
  19. Extra virgin olive oil — 0.5 dl
  20. Malagueta pepper — 2 units
  21. Sea salt — as needed (q.b.)
  22. Chives — as needed (q.b.)

Preparation

Finely chop the dry tomato and the onion, and drizzle them with a thread of extra virgin olive oil. Leave it like this for 1 hour. Peel the scarlet prawns and set aside the juice from the heads (coral) for the cracker. Chop the prawn meat and flavor it with lemon juice to taste, Dijon mustard, chives, and freshly ground white pepper. Mix this preparation with the soaked tomato and onion, and season with extra virgin olive oil and fleur de sel.

For the emulsion:

Cut the leek into cubes and blanch it in boiling water seasoned with sea salt. Drain the leek and emulsify it in a blender cup with a thread of extra virgin olive oil and a splash of lemon juice.

For the spicy cracker:

Dissolve the fresh baking powder in a small amount of warm water, add the remaining ingredients, and beat the mixture in a mixer (or by hand) to obtain a smooth dough. Let it rest for 1 hour. Roll out the dough very thinly with a rolling pin on a floured surface. Prick it with a fork and cut it into triangular pieces. Bake it in a preheated oven at 160 °C for 15 minutes.

Presentation

Mold the tartare with the help of a stainless steel ring on a flat plate, flavor it with the emulsion, and garnish it with the spicy cracker. Sprinkle with chopped chives.

Olive Oil Suggestion:

Markedly fruity olive oils, with a preference for bitter profiles from Moura or Trás-os-Montes.