Tartare of thai snapper with green apple and ginger puree and roasted spot prawns

Ingredients

• 4 tsp salt
• 4 tsp sugar
• 1 oz cilantro, chopped (about 3 Tbsp)
• 1 Lime zest  juice
• Pinch of ground white pepper
• 2 thai snapper fillets (about 1% lbs total), skin on
• 1 oz carrot, finely diced (about 14 cup)
• 1 oz celery, finely diced (about 14 cup)
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, each about 2 inches in diameter
• 1 tsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup+ 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tomatoes concasse

• 3 tsp olive oil
• 2 Granny Smith apples, about 4 oz each, peeled, cored, quartered and thinly sliced
• ½ oz fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 2 Tbsp)
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp water

• 4 tsp olive oil
• 12 spot prawns, peeled
• 1 tsp shellfish bisque
• ½ tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 cup vegetable oil for deep frying
• 1 sprig cilantro, leaves picked off and stem discarded

SNAPPER TARTARE
1. In a small bowl, combine salt, sugar, ½ oz of the cilantro, lime zest and white pepper. Gently sprinkle this mixture over the two fillets of fish, flesh-side up. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate for 7 to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add carrot, celery and shallots and blanch for 20 seconds only to remove the rawness of the vegetables but not to cook them. Drain and immediately plunge the vegetables into an ice bath. Once the vegetables are cold, drain them and set them aside in the refrigerator.
3. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add tomatoes and blanch for 10 seconds. Extract them from the water, and remove and discard the peel. Halve the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Slice the tomatoes to get four discs about 2 inches in diameter. In a small saute pan, heat butter on high heat. Add tomato slices and roast for r minute. Remove the tomato from the pan and reserve in the refrigerator.
4. Gently wash and dry the snapper fillets. Remove skin and reserve. Cut the fillet into ¼-inch dice and place the fish in a bowl. Add the blanched vegetables and the remaining ½ oz of cilantro, then season with 2 tsp of the olive oil and the lime juice. Since the fish has been slightly cured, taste it to see if it needs additional salt and pepper.
5. Remove all excess flesh from inside the skin by scraping it with the back of a knife. Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat, add the remaining 1 tsp of olive oil and then place a second, smaller pan into the oil so as to grease the bottom of the second pan (make sure the bottom of the pan is clean). Lift the top pan and spread out the skin in the bottom pan. Place the small pan on top of the skin and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the skin is crisp. Remove the skin with a palette knife and allow to cool to room temperature. It will form a crisp tuile with an intense fish flavour that can be used as a garnish. Break the tuiles into rough 2½-inch pieces.
GREEN APPLE AND GINGERPUREE
6. Heat olive oil in a small saute pan on high heat. Add apple and ginger, and sprinkle with sugar. Add water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. When all the apple has changed colour to a transparent green, remove the pan from heat, puree the appleginger mixture in a blender, pass through a fine sieve and reserve this puree in the refrigerator.
ROASTED SPOT PRAWNS
7. Heat 2 tsp of the olive oil in a small non-stick pan on high heat. Add spot prawns and cook for I minute per side. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the pan.
8. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tsp of olive oil, bisque and vinegar to make a light dressing.
DEEP- FRIED ClLANTRO
9. Heat oil in a deep fryer or medium pot to 400°F. Add cilantro leaves and fry for 3 to 4 seconds, then remove from the oil and allow to drain on paper towels.