A Splendid Seafood Starter

Karl Seaward
Jan 13, 2016
2 min read

Working as a Chef has its ups and downs. A great deal of stress at times and crazy hours, however the oppotunity to be creative and make something your own is an absolute joy.

This dish was the work of one of my younger colleges, It was a privilageto be able to work on the dish with him and give a few pointers along the way.

Duo of Seafood with Mango Salsa, Chilli Jam and Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients

Cooked Crab

Squid Mantel

Chili Jam (Recipe Below)

Balsamic Glaze (Recipe Below)

Lemon

Mango

Chili

Iceberg Lettuce

Lime

Plain Flour

Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

Watercress

Chili Jam:

Ingredients:

10 red chillies and roughly chopped

8 red chillies, roughly chopped

finger-sized piece fresh root ginger peeled and roughly chopped

8 garlic cloves peeled

400g cherry tomatoes

750g golden caster sugar

250ml red wine vinegar

Tip the peppers, chillies, ginger and garlic into a food processor, then whizz until very finely chopped. Scrape into a heavy-bottomed pan with the tomatoes, sugar and vinegar, then bring everything to the boil. Skim off any scum that comes to the surface, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 50 mins, stirring occasionally.
Once the jam is becoming sticky, continue cooking for 10-15 mins more, stirring frequently so that it doesn’t catch and burn. It should now look like thick, bubbling lava. Cool slightly, transfer to sterilised jars, then leave to cool completely. Keeps for 3 months in a cool, dark cupboard – refrigerate once opened

Balsamic Glaze:

Ingredients:

2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1. Mix balsamic vinegar with brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until glaze is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Glaze should coat the back of a spoon. Let cool and pour into a jar with a lid; store in refrigerator.

Mango Salsa

Dice the cheeks of 2 ripe mangos, very finely dice 1 red chilli and zest 1 lime. Mix these together and add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Calamari

Slice the squid (As seen in 'Sick of Christmas meals' post from 31/12/15). Place slices of squid in a flour mix containing salt and cracked black pepper. Lightly coat and deep fry or shallow fry in a hot pan. This should take no more than a minute, otherwise the squid will overcook and become very chewy.

To Plate

Cut an iceberg lettuce in half and remove core, take out center leaves that could be used as a cup and slice in half. Place mango salsa into lettuce cup and crab on top. Dot a few drops of the jam around the plate and flick or draw on the glaze. Place the calamari around the place and sprinkle the plate with a little black pepper. Garnish with a lemon wedge and watercress.

Try some of the components in your own cooking or try this dish at home!