Dublin Bay prawns, lovage purée and boxty
Dublin Bay prawns are also known as langoustines and are served here with traditional Irish potato pancakes called boxty.
Ingredients
For the kale and cabbage
- 50ml/2fl oz white wine vinegar
- 100ml/3½fl oz extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú kale, finely sliced
- ½ head hispi or sweetheart cabbage, thinly sliced
- salt
For the lovage purée
- 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú lovage, chopped
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú kale, stalks removed, leaves chopped
- pinch salt
- pinch sugar
For the boxty
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú cold mashed potato
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú potato, peeled and grated
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú plain flour
- 100ml/3½fl oz milk
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Dublin Bay prawns
- 4 langoustines (or Dublin Bay prawns), shell on
- 40²µ/1½´Ç³ú butter
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 4 radishes, sliced, to garnish
Method
To make the kale and cabbage, mix the vinegar, oils, sugar and garlic together in a small bowl and season with salt. Dress the kale and cabbage with the vinaigrette and set aside.
To make the lovage purée, heat the cream in a saucepan and add the lovage and kale. Stir well, add the salt and sugar and cook until the leaves have wilted. Transfer to a food processor or blender and blitz to a purée.
To make the boxty, mix the mashed potato, grated potato and flour in a large bowl. Whisk in the milk and egg and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the potato mixture to make a thin pancake, slightly thicker than a crêpe. Cook for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Use a round biscuit cutter to make 4 small pancakes.
To make the Dublin Bay prawns, bring a saucepan of water to the boil and blanch the prawns for 5 seconds. Immediately plunge the prawns into iced water and then peel away the shells and devein. Heat the butter, garlic and lemon juice in a frying pan and cook the prawns until they are pink and cooked through.
To serve, place the kale and cabbage on warmed plates and top with the prawns. Dot the lovage purée around the edges of the plates and finish with the lemon zest and radish. Serve the boxty on the side.