Hartwood’s Mayan Shrimp
Restaurant Hartwood in the jungle of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula makes this dish with wonderfully fresh Mayan shrimp. In any case, make sure your shrimp are as fresh as possible. The spicy beet greens are the Caribbean version of kimchi.
How to make Hartwood’s shrimp
Cut the stems from 1 bunch of beet greens. Place the leaves in a bowl, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and 1 tablespoon of salt, and rub it in. Leave the leaves to wilt for about 30 minutes.
Drain and place them in a clean, large bowl. Mix well with the carrot, spring onions, garlic and 180 ml of the chipotle-mezcal sauce. Spoon everything into a non-reactive container, cover it and refrigerate the sauce overnight.
Heat the grill until very hot. (Shrimp need to be cooked quickly, so the coals should be glowing.)
Place the shrimp in a large bowl. Add olive oil, pepper, salt and the chili powder, and mix everything well. Oil the grill grate and grill the shrimp for about 1 minute per side, until the flesh is just no longer transparent and you can see beautiful grill marks. Don’t overcook them! Watch them closely as they lose their transparency and feel whether they are just firm. Nothing is sadder than a rubbery shrimp.
While the shrimp are cooling, place the cucumber in a bowl and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of salt. Leave this for about 10 minutes.
Cut the stems from the second bunch of beet greens and place the leaves in a large bowl. Add the wilted beet greens and mix everything well.
Divide the cucumber among six plates. Arrange the beet greens on top of the cucumber and distribute the radish and mandarin over them. Place the shrimp on top and finally drizzle the olive oil and the remaining 70 ml of sauce over the dish.
Chipotle-mezcal sauce
Mix all the ingredients in a blender and purée on high speed until smooth; add more water if necessary.
The Hartwood Kitchen
Eric Werner & Mya Henry
€ 29.95, Fontaine publishing house
