‘Desert rose’ pearl meat ceviche

Ingredients

• 220 g fresh pearl meat (about 10)
• beetroot micro greens, to serve

Lemongrass dressing

• 8 g lemongrass, pale part only, finely chopped
• 2 g peeled ginger
• 10 g peeled garlic
• ½ bird’s eye chilli, chopped 
• 6 g coriander roots, scrubbed 
• 25 g white sugar
• 125 ml (½ cup) strained lemon juice
• 2 tsp fish sauce

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the pearl meat lengthways into 2 mm-thick slices. Pat dry. 

2. For the lemongrass dressing, place all the ingredients in a small blender and process until smooth. Transfer to a shallow bowl. Add the pearl meat, toss to coat and marinate for 2-3 minutes or until the flesh begins to turn opaque. Pour the pearl meat into a sieve placed over a bowl and reserve the marinade.

3. To assemble, place 3 pieces of marinated pearl meat, end-to-end, to create a line on a plate, with the ends slightly overlapping. Using tweezers, gently roll the line of slices into a tight roll. When placed upright, the end of the roll should resemble the top of a rosebud. Place each roll onto a serving plate and fan out the top to open it into a rose shape. 

4. Pour a little reserved marinade over the pearl meat petals and garnish with beetroot micro greens. Serve immediately. 

Explore a Taste of the Territory with Jimmy Shu on SBS Food and On Demand.