Rapa Nui shrimp tartar on Little Gem lettuce
Rapa Nui, also called Easter Island, is one of the most remote places on Earth, and a must-see for anyone who's ever dreamed of visiting somewhere totally unique. This tiny island is a speck in the vast Pacific Ocean, more than 3,500 kilometers from the Chilean coast.
The island's cuisine is mainly based on what's available in the sea, with plenty of tuna, mahi-mahi, lobster, shrimp, and other local fish. Rapa Nui ceviche is the island's signature dish, a real treat made from freshly caught tuna. You can prepare the ceviche either Peruvian-style, with lime and chili peppers, or Polynesian-style, with coconut milk.
I had the pleasure of tasting a special version of this beloved dish, featuring shrimp and Rapa Nui pineapple, and let me tell you, the flavor combination was simply to die for! I've recreated the recipe myself on this blog, serving the tartare on little gem leaves, with some delicious island fries on the side. It's a light and simple lunch that's sure to delight your taste buds.
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 20 large shrimp (16/20 count)
- 2 tablespoons of lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 jalapeño chili pepper
- 1 avocado
- Pepper and salt
- 1 small red onion
- 8 sprigs of cilantro
- 2 little gem lettuces
- 1 baby pineapple
- 40 g chulpe corn kernels
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Pimentón de la Vera (optional)
For the tiger’s milk:
- 6 tablespoons of lime juice
- 2 jalapeño chilies
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 clove of garlic
- 3 tablespoons dashi
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- Cilantro sprigs
-
Step 1: marinate shrimp
First, peel the shrimp and put them in a glass bowl. Next, remove the seeds from the jalapeño chili pepper and chop it up. Then, mix the shrimp with one tablespoon of lime juice, the olive oil, and the chopped jalapeño, and let them marinate in the refrigerator.
-
Step 2: the toppings
First, mix the avocado with some lime juice to make guacamole and add salt and pepper to taste. Then, spoon the guacamole into a plastic squeeze bottle or piping bag.
Next, slice the red onion into thin slices using a mandolin. After that, pick the leaves off the cilantro and chop them roughly, saving the stalks for the tiger’s milk. Then, separate the leaves from the little gems and cut the pineapple into small cubes.
Now, let's make the corn topping. Heat the oil in a saucepan and toast the corn kernels until golden. Sprinkle with a little salt and let it cool.
-
Step 3: tiger’s milk
Remove the seeds from the jalapeños and chop the chilies into large pieces. Next, put all the tiger’s milk ingredients in a blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the tiger’s milk through a sieve and put it in the fridge.
-
Step 4: shrimp tartare
Heat a pan and fry the shrimp for about a minute on each side. You just want to get them cooked through, but not too much! Next, season with salt and pepper, let them cool, and then cut them into 1-cm pieces.
Then, mix the shrimp with the red onion, cilantro, pineapple, and tiger’s milk.
-
Step 5: finishing
Put a few pieces of little gem lettuce on each plate. Spread a layer of guacamole on each leaf, then top it with a spoonful of shrimp tartar. Finish with the roasted chulpe corn and a pinch of pimentón de la Vera.
Serve with some delicious crispy island fries.
![Rapa Nui Schrimp Tartar 373]()
