Langoustine Carpaccio with Citrus Dressing

• Combine the soy sauce, pepper, sugar, lemon juice, rice vinegar and olive oil and reserve in the refrigerator.
• You must blanch the langoustines in boiling water to begin. In a 30cm (12-inch) pot boil 1 litre (1 quart/ 4¼ cups) of water. While boiling place the langoustine inside for 10 seconds. Take out and place in a bowl with iced water, allow the langoustines to cool for one minute inside the iced water.
• Take the langoustines from the iced water and peel the shell from the tail and discard left over shell. Separate the tail and the head. Keep the head for later to use as a garnish.
• Using the whole pieces of tail meat, lay them flat as possible on cling film, cover the tails with another layer of cling film.
• With a kitchen knife laid flat on its side, beat the tails between the cling film firmly until they are flattened and thin.
• Carefully peel off the top layer of cling film, pick up the bottom layer of cling film and invert it onto your plate so that the langoustine is now on the surface of the plate.
• Smooth out the cling film using your hands which will make the langoustine stick to the plate. Very carefully peel off the layer of cling film so that the langoustine is left beautifully on the plate. This may take some practice.
• Pour a small amount of the dressing all over the langoustine, just to moisten the dish.
• Finally garnish the plate, as shown in the picture, with the onion, coriander, lime slice and head of the langoustine.
• Eat the langoustine quite quickly as the acid from the dressing will begin to cook it.

Tips:

• You can sometimes find live langoustines early in the morning at the local fishing market. You can also opt for a snap frozen product but it must be very fresh.