Lime Granita With Candied Mint Leaves And Crème Fraîche Recipes

Steps:

• Place an 8-inch square baking dish in the freezer to chill while you make the simple syrup.
• Combine the sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar is dissolved and syrup is at a gentle boil. Remove it from the heat, and allow it to cool..
• Pull the chilled baking dish out of the freezer, and pour the coconut milk into the dish. You may need to whisk it to smooth out any lumps.
• Whisk in the simple syrup, lime zest, lime juice and fresh coconut until well combined. Place the dish in the freezer, and let it chill for 1 hour.
• Pull it out of the freezer, and using a fork, break up the ice crystals forming around the edge of the dish, by dragging them into the more molten center. Return to the freezer and repeat this process every hour or so, smoothing out the granita before you return it to the freezer. The whole process should take about 3 hours. When you're ready to serve, allow the granita to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes so that it softens. Spoon the mixture into a small bowl or glass, and top with a little coarse sea salt.

Steps:

• Check the fish for bones and, if needed, remove with tweezers. To make the cure, put the lemongrass, 125g sugar, the salt, lime juice, zest of 1 lime, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 garlic clove, the coriander and half of the dill, including stems, into a food processor. Blitz until the lemongrass is finely chopped, then stir in a quarter of the sliced chillies.
• Cross two large pieces of cling film in a roasting tin and spoon on a third of the cure, then top with the fish. Cover the fish with the rest of the cure. Wrap tightly and leave for 36-48 hrs, then scrape off the cure, rinse the fish in cold water and pat dry. The fillet will feel firm.
• On the day of serving, start the other elements of the recipe. Shave the turnips into very thin slices using a mandoline, then plunge them into iced water with a dash of the vinegar. Leave for an hour, then drain well. Thinly slice the onion and mix with the turnip slices, 2 tbsp vinegar, 2 tsp sugar and a pinch of salt. Cover and steep for at least 1 hr, or chill for a few hrs.
• Finely chop the remaining dill leaves and stir most of them into the crème fraîche with the remaining lime zest and a little seasoning, then chill.
• For the dressing, stir together the remaining 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp vinegar, another quarter of the sliced chillies and the crushed garlic and leave until the sugar dissolves.
• Slice the fish into approx 20 slices, taking the knife down to the skin, then easing the blade underneath each piece to remove it.
• When ready to serve, spoon and swoosh the dill crème fraîche down the middle of each plate, then top with overlapping salmon slices. Add 3 prawns per serving. Lift the salad from its juices and mound to one side. Scatter with a little extra dill and the remaining sliced chillies, then drizzle the dressing over the fish and prawns (or let your guests do that bit at the table).