Cucumber tartlet with cream cheese and Wild Atlantic Prawns, fresh fruit and cucumber coulis
Chef: StockFood
Serves 8
Ingredients
For the cucumber coulis:
- 1 small cucumber
- 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- salt
For the tartlets:
- 180 g | 6 oz | 3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp plain yoghurt
- 2 tbsp hot water
- 1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1 large cucumber, ends removed
- 2 tbsp butter
- 300 g | 11 oz | 2 cups small frozen cooked prawns, thawed
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
- freshly ground black pepper
To garnish:
- 2 kiwi fruit, peeled and diced
- 150 g | 5 oz | 1 cup golden raspberries
- 150 g | 5 oz | 1 cup strawberries, hulled and diced
- 2 tbsp mango chutney
- small mint leaves
Method
- For the cucumber coulis: Peel and halve the cucumber. Scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon and then dice the flesh.
- Combine the flesh with the parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Blend on high until smooth, adding a little water to loosen the mixture if needed.
- Pass the coulis through a fine sieve into a bowl. Cover and chill until needed.
- For the tartlets: Mix together the cream cheese, yoghurt, hot water, garlic, mint leaves, and a little seasoning in a mixing bowl. Cover and chill until needed.
- Cut the cucumber in half and then cut four rectangular shapes about 13 cm | 5″ x 4 cm | 1.5″ x 1 cm | 0.5″ from each half. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Cut small batons from any off-cuts of cucumber and reserve with the rectangles to one side.
- Melt the butter in a large saute pan set over a moderate heat. Add the prawns and some seasoning, and saute for 3-4 minutes until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan set over a moderate heat. Once golden, tip into a small bowl.
- To garnish: Puree the kiwi fruit in a food processor until jam-like in consistency. Scrape into a bowl.
- Puree the golden raspberries in a clean food processor until jam-like, and then do the same for the strawberries, working in a clean food processor.
- To assemble the tartlets, spread their tops with the cream cheese mixture; loosen it with a little hot water if needed.
- Top with the cucumber batons, prawns, sesame seeds, and some mint leaves. Place carefully in the centre of serving plates.
- Spoon dots of the fruit purees around the plates, as well as some mango chutney. Spoon smaller blobs of the coulis in between the fruit before serving.