Diego Solis Montes De Oca, chef de cuisine at J&G Steakhouse at The St Regis Dubai, on the two key ingredients in his kitchen.
"Surprisingly, both ingredients have a lot in common; they are both strong in aroma and unique in flavour. They can be eaten alone or added to any dish to completely transform its flavour. Both also have a healthy element to them, so it is encouraging to incorporate them into my everyday life."
Mint sea bass ceviche with green apple
Ingredients and method for the ceviche sauce:
36ml honey
168ml lemon juice
18g mint leaves
25g chilli jalapeño
15ml rice vinegar
4g salt
35ml extra virgin olive oil
Mix all the ingredients except the olive oil. Blend and pass through a fine strainer to create a smooth purée.
Add the olive oil very slowly to the puree and emulsify using a hand blender. Adding the oil quickly will cause the mixture to split.
Keep the purée in the chiller.
Ingredient and method to fillet the sea bass:
85g sea bass
To prepare the fish for filleting, rinse it well with cold water and pat it dry with a paper towel.
Lay the fish horizontally and start filleting by delicately removing the bones. Remove the tiny pin bones with the help of a needle-nosed plier.
To skin the fish, hold your knife down at one end of the fillet, positioning it between the skin and the flesh. Angle the knife slightly, and slide it through the length of the entire fish, holding tightly onto the skin with your other hand.
Cut the fish fillets into thin slices or any other way you prefer. Transfer to the plate and store in the chiller.
Ingredients for the garnish:
30ml rice vinegar poured over 20g cut Holland red chillies (mild spicy) at least 24 hours before
0.5g Maldon salt
3g green apple, cut in cubes
To serve:
Sprinkle the salt on top of the fish and arrange the pieces on a chilled plate.
Pour the ceviche sauce around the plate, and garnish with the pickled chillies and freshly cut apple cubes.
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Read more:
My key ingredient: Guajillo chillies
My key ingredient: Arborio rice
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