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SERVES 6
For the salted grapes:
20 large grapes (red or green)
Pinch of rock salt
Drizzle of olive oil
2 sprigs of thyme (leaves only)
Kettle of boiling water
1. Place the grapes in a pan. Cover with boiling water and allow to stand for 2 minutes to loosen the skin. Drain.
2. With a sharp paring knife carefully remove the skin from the grapes.
3. Mix the grapes, rock salt, olive oil and thyme in a mixing bowl.
4. Toss until all the grapes are covered with the olive oil.
5. Spread over a tray with greaseproof paper and cook in a pre-heated oven at 90°C for 2 hours.
6. The grapes will start losing water into the tray. Baste the grapes with this liquid as it has an intense flavour. They will look a bit dehydrated but won’t lose too much volume or moisture.
For the vegetable pearls:
2 large carrots (peeled)
2 large potatoes (peeled)
1. Using a small parisienne / solferino scoop make potato and carrot pearls. Keep the carrot trimmings for the carrot purée.
2. Cook the pearls in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes. When cooked the pearl should be firm but cooked through – the best way to check is to eat one!
3. Drain and refresh in cold water.
4. Place the pearls in a pan, add just enough water to cover.
5. Add salt and dollop of butter. Bring to the boil and reduce to a glaze (this will take approximately 1-2 minutes).
For the carrot purée:
500g carrots (peeled and finely diced)
10g butter
Salt and sugar to taste
150g water
1. Add the butter to a wide bottomed pan over a medium heat.
2. Once the butter foams, add the carrot and sweat really well for 3-5 minutes. The carrot should slightly soften and start losing moisture.
3. Add the seasoning and water. Bring to the boil.
4. Reduce to a low–medium heat and cover.
5. Cook until all the moisture has gone and the carrot is soft and tender.
6. Blend to a smooth purée and transfer a small amount to a squeezy bottle (see tips for the remainder).
For the leeks:
1/4 leek
Salt, butter and sugar to taste
1. With a very sharp knife cut the leek into thin juliennes, then cut into small dice.
2. Place the diced leek in a pan and cover (just) with water. Add the salt, butter and sugar.
3. Bring to the boil and reduce the liquid. The leek should be semicooked or crunchy.
For the tandoori pineapple:
1 pineapple (peeled and quartered, centre removed)
2g smoked paprika
2g cumin powder
2g chaat masala
15g honey
Salt to taste
Twist of black pepper
1. Cut the quartered pineapple in half and then into cylinders (a large apple corer works well for this). Keep the pineapple trimmings for the pineapple tomato rasam.
2. In a mixing bowl whisk the paprika, cumin powder, chaat masala, honey and salt to a paste.
3. Roll the pineapple cylinders in the paste.
4. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium flame. Place the pineapple in the pan, discarding any excessive liquid.
5. Colour the pineapple on all sides to a light golden roast. This will take 3-5 minutes.
6. Add 100ml water and bring to the boil. The pineapple will absorb the water and become tender.
7. Serve immediately.
For the pineapple Rasam:
Follow the basic tomato rasam recipe and then follow the pineapple variation, using the pineapple trimmings from the Tandoori pineapple.
For the cod:
1x 30cm long cod loin (skinned and pin boned)
50g sugar
50g salt
Zest of 1 lemon
2 sprigs of thyme
2 black peppercorns
300g water
2 Nori seaweed paper (15cm x 15cm)
1. Make a marinade with the sugar, salt, lemon zest, thyme, peppercorns and water. Stir until the sugar and salt has dissolved.
2. Marinate the cod for 30 minutes. This will firm and season up the cod, and kill any unwanted bacteria.
3. Divide the cod into two equal pieces.
4. Place cling film over a chopping board and oil lightly.
5. Place 1 sheet of Nori seaweed paper on the cling film, apply water with a pastry brush – just enough to moisten it as this will help the seaweed stick to the cod.
6. Place one half of the cod over the seaweed and roll into a tube. Wrap tightly with cling film and tie a knot on both ends of the cling film.
7. Repeat steps 4-6.
8. If preparing in advance, keep in the fridge until needed.
9. If cooking immediately, drop the cod wrapped in cling film in water heated to 60°C for 8 minutes.
10. Remove from the water. Trim the top and tail of the tubes with a sharp, thin bladed carving knife.
11. Cut each tube into 6 perfect rounds and remove the cling film. Sprinkle with rock salt and brush with olive oil to glaze the meat.
For the soft-shelled crab:
4 soft shelled crab (cut in half lengthways)
150g refined flour
2g Chinese five spice
Pinch of salt
Deep fat fryer at 190°C
(or a deep pan with oil at 190°C)
1. Mix together the refined flour, Chinese five spice and salt.
2. Drop the crab into the mixture. Ensure the flour coats all the crab and brush off any excess.
3. Drop the crab into the hot oil and cook until the crab is orange/red and crispy.
4. Remove with a slotted spoon, sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.
To serve:
1. Heat all the components.
2. On the left of each plate use a 3cm diameter pastry cutter to create 2 beds of leeks no more than 1mm high.
3. Place the seaweed wrapped cod on the leek. On one piece of cod neatly arrange 3 to 4 salted grapes. On the other add 6 vegetable pearls.
4. On the top right squeeze 3 tiny dots of carrot purée to help the soft-shelled crab stand on the plate.
5. Squeeze 2 large dots of the purée with the pineapple between them.
6. Pour the pineapple tomato rasam onto each plate.
7. Serve immediately with a warm jug of pineapple tomato rasam sauce on the table.
TIPS
* There will be plenty of carrot purée left over, this will freeze well but will also make a delicious soup if you add some water or stock. Or, add the purée to crushed root vegetables to bind them together – a perfect accompaniment to a Sunday roast.
* If you’re trimming the cod fillet down to a loin yourself, don’t throw away any trimmings, make fish cakes or fish stock – or simply dice them up and fry on a high heat with some veg to make a stir fry, delicious with any leftover rasam!
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