Joan Roca: For this Spanish chef, the most delicious starter is prepared with 500g of prawns and the juice of half a lemon
Expecting guests and unsure what to serve as a starter? Spanish chef Joan Roca has created a dish featuring shrimp and lemon juice. It's delicious and, above all, very refreshing. Recipe.
When you have guests, finding an appetizer idea that's a change from the usual recipes isn't always easy. You want to prepare something delicious and visually appealing, without spending hours in the kitchen. Spanish chef Joan Roca has just the suggestion that might appeal to you, according to our colleagues at El Español.
At the helm of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant El Celler de Can Roca, he reinvents carpaccio with a product we love to find on our plates: shrimp. And to make them even more delicious, the culinary expert adds a touch of lemon juice. With this ingredient, he creates a succulent, fragrant oil. Here's how to make it at home.
For the brine:
- 500 g of water
- 40 g of salt
For the prawn roll:
- 500g of large prawns
- 540 g of brine
- For the lemon and fresh chive oil:
- 250g extra virgin olive oil
- 50g of sunflower oil
- 1 citron
- 7g of freshly chopped chives
For training:
- Fleur de sel
The procedure to follow:
To make this prawn carpaccio, start by preparing the brine by pouring the water into a container and adding the salt. Mix well to obtain a smooth liquid, without any salt crystals at the bottom. Next, prepare the prawns. Remove the heads and shells, keeping only the tails. You can set aside the removed parts to use later in a broth or another recipe.
Using a toothpick, carefully remove the vein from the back of each prawn, then rinse them if necessary. Submerge the tails in the brine for four minutes. Drain them, then pat them dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Lay a large sheet of cling film on your work surface and arrange the prawns on it, slightly overlapping. Roll everything up tightly to form a neat cylinder about 5 cm in diameter.
Place the roll in the freezer until it is firm enough to slice easily. Once the roll is firm, remove the film and slice it thinly, about 1 mm thick, with a sharp knife or slicer. Arrange the slices on a plate in a rosette pattern, then let them thaw.
Meanwhile, whisk the chopped chives into the lemon-infused oil. To do this, first combine the olive oil and sunflower oil. Strain the mixture and set it aside. Just before serving, drizzle this dressing over the carpaccio, then add a few pinches of fleur de sel, some extra chives, and sprigs of chervil or fresh parsley. For the finishing touch, add a few wild garlic flowers if you have some. Enjoy!
