Bahamian Conch Salad, Nobu Style

Thomas gives me a sly grin and says, "Remember when we went to that conch stand in the Bahamas with the Nobu chefs? Well, three of them ended up having children at the same time!" (In fact, one of those new fathers just happens to be Thomas.) That's right, conch is said to be a potent aphrodisiac. Here, then, is a ceviche that uses conch, although marinated much less than in most traditional ceviche recipes because we want the fresh, chewy textures and flavours to shine through. Pass it around in a large bowl with serving spoons so your guests can help themselves.

-- Nobu Matsuhisa (NM)

Makes 10 portions

Ingredients:

1 queen conch, shucked and cleaned

1/2 orange bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 red onion, diced finely

2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced

1/4 tsp chopped Scotch bonnet pepper

1/2 tbsp chopped cilantro

2 tsp salt

Juice of 4 limes

Juice of 3 oranges

1 tbsp yuzu juice

Cilantro leaves, as garnish

Method:

Pound the conch to tenderise, then cut into bite-size pieces. Mix all vegetables with the conch, salt and citrus juices. Place the conch salad in a serving bowl and garnish with the cilantro leaves.

Some streets in the Bahamas are lined with conch stands that serve up the freshest conch salad imaginable. Every Bahamian man has a favourite stand that he visits at least once a day. Going back and forth between Miami and Nassau as I do, I soon found my own favourite. I take my seat on a stool, beer in hand, and watch how quickly the local cooks can extract the meat from those impossibly convoluted shells. Such amazing skill! Conch meat is tougher than scallops or pen shells, so it must first be tenderised by pounding with the flat of a knife. Marinating in vinegar makes it even more tender.

-- Thomas Buckley (TB)

Branzino with Florida Amazu Sauce

This is branzino tempura; however, we substitute vodka for half the water in the batter. In Japan, it's not uncommon to use shochu spirits in tempura batter. The alcohol makes the tempura fry up extra light and crisp. Another trick for crispy tempura is not to whisk the batter too much, because over-blending causes the gluten in the flour to develop, making the tempura heavy and chewy when fried. It's fine for the batter to have a few small lumps. We use Florida-grown Minneola oranges for our amazu dipping sauce. They're honey-sweet and have a bright flowery fragrance.

-- NM

Makes about 10 pieces

Ingredients:

1 whole branzino, about 11/3 lb (580 g), scaled, filleted and boned (carcass reserved for presentation)

2 to 3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup (240 ml) Vodka Tempura Batter (substitute vodka for the water)

Vegetable oil for frying

1 Serrano chilli pepper, sliced fine

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced and placed in ice water

1/4 cup (5g) loosely packed cilantro, chopped and whole leaves

1/2 cup (7 g) micro cilantro

2 to 3 tbsp Florida Amazu Sauce (recipe follows)

Daikon radish shreds, for presentation

Method:

Cut the branzino into pieces small enough to be eaten in about two bites (about 10 pieces). Lightly dredge the fish in flour and dip into the Vodka Tempura Batter. Deep-fry at 360°F (180°C) until lightly coloured. Transfer to a paper-lined dish to drain any excess oil. Dredge the carcass, if using, in flour and deep-fry until crisp and lightly browned.

Pile the fried fish on a plate and garnish with onion, a few slices of serrano chilli pepper, chopped cilantro and micro cilantro. Spoon some of the Florida Amazu Sauce over, or serve the sauce in a dipping cup. Place the daikon radish shreds and fried carcass on the side.

Florida Amazu Sauce

Makes about 6 tbsp

Ingredients:

1 tbsp rice vinegar

3 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

1 small piece kombu,

1/2 in (1 cm) square

3 tbsp (40 ml) Minneola

orange juice

Method:

Place the rice vinegar, granulated sugar, salt and kombu in a small saucepan over low heat and dissolve the sugar and salt. Cool and remove the kombu. Add the orange juice and set aside.

Pineapple Shaved Ice with Exotic Sauces

Miami is a true paradise for fruit, with everything from oranges, lemons and other citrus to lucuma, cherimoya, pineapples, red papayas and passion fruit from the Caribbean and South America available all year round. How many cities are there in the world where you can head to the beach and enjoy a nice, cool shaved ice any time you want? Perfect for parties, where you can let each guest choose their favourite local organic fruit and slice it on the spot for an instant topping. What could be more refreshing at a casual lunch? Drizzle on bright Mora Red Sauce for that sassy tropical touch!

--NM

Serves 8

Pineapple Shaved Ice

Ingredients:

1 fresh extra-sweet pineapple, peeled (1/2 lb/250 g)

2 cups (480 ml) water

3 tbsp Simple Syrup

Coconut Sauce

Ingredients:

2 fresh coconuts in shell

1 tbsp Simple Syrup

Mora Red Sauce

Ingredients:

7 oz (200 g) fresh mora berries (any sweet berries can be substituted)

1/3 cup (80 ml) Simple Syrup

Toppings

Ingredients:

8 fresh lychee, peeled

1 fresh red papaya, peeled and sliced

2 fresh passion fruit, peeled and sliced

Method:

Make the pineapple shaved ice: Cut the pineapple flesh into chunks and purée in a food processor. Combine with water and Simple Syrup in a stainless-steel container. Keep in a freezer for 24 hours.

Make the coconut sauce: Remove some of the brown fibres from the outer skin of the coconuts and find the dimples. Insert a small knife into a dimple and make a hole. Pour the coconut juice out into a bowl and reserve. Cut open the coconuts and scrape out the white flesh. Place the juice, flesh and Simple Syrup in a food processor and pulse into a purée. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and refrigerate.

Make the Mora Red Sauce: Combine the mora flesh and Simple Syrup in a food processor and pulse into a purée. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and refrigerate.

Shave the frozen pineapple purée with an ice shaving machine. (Alternatively, shave with a mandoline or fork.) Put the shavings in a glass, top with the fresh fruits and spoon the sauces over.

Uni-Crusted Florida Spiny Lobster

Different countries pride themselves on their lobster, each saying the local catch is the best. At Nobu, we do sometimes use big-clawed Maine lobsters, but let's not overlook Florida spiny lobsters. First simmered slowly in kombu dashi, then slathered with Nobu's own uni sea urchin butter and oven-broiled until the skin just begins to char and gives off such a sublime aroma! Even if you're serving individual portions, a platter of whole lobsters makes quite an impact. Squeeze lots of key lime over top!

--TB

Serves 6

Ingredients:

Uni butter

4 tbsp uni sea urchin

6 tbsp unsalted butter

4 tsp light soy sauce

Zest and juice from 1 lemon

2 tbsp panko

2 tsp white miso

3 live spiny lobsters, about 14 oz (400 g) each

3 small hearts of palm, cut into 1/4 in (6 mm) thick rounds

6 tbsp Gin-an (recipe follows)

3 key limes, halved

1 piece kombu,

4 in (10 cm) square

Method:

Make the Uni butter: combine all ingredients in a blender.

Set aside.

Place the kombu in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Add the lobsters and cook for 12 minutes.

Cut the tails in half lengthwise.

Clean and cut tail meat into bite-size pieces, then return the meat to the shells.

Cover each tail half with Uni butter and bake at 450°F (230°C) until the surface becomes nicely golden brown.

Grill the hearts of palm and dress with the Gin-an.

Arrange the lobster on a platter or individual plates and place the hearts of palm and key lime on the side.

Gin-an

Makes scant 1 cup (200 ml)

Ingredients:

3 live spiny lobsters, about 14 oz (400 g) each

3 small hearts of palm, cut into 1/4 in (6 mm) thick rounds

6 tbsp Gin-an (recipe follows)

3 key limes, halved

1 piece kombu,

4 in (10 cm) square

2/3 cup (180 ml) Dashi Stock

1 tbsp sake

1 tbsp light soy sauce

Pinch sea salt

1 tsp kudzu, dissolved with 1 tsp water

Method:

Combine all ingredients except the kudzu slurry in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the kudzu slurry to thicken, stir and remove from heat.

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