Recipe

Prawn and papaya salad with lime dressing. Yummy!

Every time I get invited for a meal at H. and Miro's house I just know that the food will be delicious and that it will probably include ingredients that I cannot quite identify, so I usually learn something new as well.

I have to confess that I am a mediocre cook so I'm always in awe of people who can conjure up magnificent meals. When I saw the theme for this week's Sunday Post over at Jake's blog I knew I needed help and the first friend who came to mind was Miro. And he kindly agreed to share a recipe with me and my blog.

If you happen to visit the Albufeira area of the Algarve, Portugal, you can taste some of his other dishes at Restaurante Jompra. He's a chef there.

Meanwhile, here is a recipe in English and Portuguese:

Prawn and papaya salad, with lime dressing (starter - serves 8)

Ingredients:

750 g prawns 18/20 in their shell but headless

2 large papayas, diced

1 small red onion, julienned

2 celery stalks, thinly  sliced

2 tablespoons fresh mint roughly shredded

For the dressing:

125ml extra virgin olive oil

60 ml lime juice

Lime zest, q.b.

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt, q.b.

Black pepper, freshly ground, q.b.

Preparation:

Remove the shells from the prawns and de-vein. Boil in salted water for 2 minutes over low heat and leave to cool in the water, before draining.

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing  and season with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, gently blend all the salad ingredients and the dressing.

Serve this salad at room temperature.

You can garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

To serve as shown in the picture, put individual servings of the salad inside a molding ring, press very gently and then remove the molding ring carefully.

Try it! You won't be disappointed.

Salada de gambas e papaia, com molho de lima. Uma delícia!

 

Salada de gambas e papaia, com molho de lima (entrada, para 8 pessoas)

Ingredientes:

750 g camarão 18/20 com a casca, sem cabeça

2 papaias grandes cortadas em cubos

1 cebola vermelha pequena, em juliana

2 talos de rama de aipo cortado em rodelas finas

2 colheres sopa de hortelã fresca esfarrapada

Molho:

125 ml azeite virgem extra

60 ml sumo de lima

raspa de lima q.b.

2 colheres chá gengibre, fresco raspado

1 colheres chá açucar

sal q.b.

pimenta preta do moinho q.b.

Preparação:

Descasque o camarão e retire a tripa. Coza em água com sal durante 2 minutos em lume brando e deixar arrefecer na água.

Misture os ingredientes para o molho com uma vara de arames e tempere com sal e pimenta.

Numa tigela envolva cuidadosamente os ingredientes para a salada com o molho.

Sirva a salada à temperatura ambiente.

Pode guarnecer com um raminho de hortelã fresca.

Para empratar como na fotografia, utilize um aro de cozinha, colocando os ingredientes dentro, pressione um pouco e retire o aro com cuidado.

Experimente!