Mermaid on the Half Shell
An elegant raw bar presentation with a seaweed hair garnish.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- —
- Total
- 20 min
- Serves
- 2 (1 platter, romantically)
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cuisine
- Raw Bar
- Course
- Appetizer
The story
Some dishes are about flavour. This one is about drama. Bring it out on a bed of ice and watch the room go quiet.
We use the very small mermaids of cocktail-party legend. If yours is larger than the shell, you have a different recipe on your hands, and probably a lawsuit.
Ingredients
- 1 very small mermaid, the cocktail-party-legend kind
- 1 handful seaweed, combed into flowing locks
Mignonette
- 2 tbsp shallot, minced
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- cracked pepper, to taste
- 2 lemon wedges
Equipment
- 1 giant clamshell
- Crushed ice
- A comb (dinglehopper)
Method
- Mix shallot, vinegar and pepper for the mignonette. Let it sit. ⏱ 15 min
- Arrange the seaweed on the shell in loose, windswept waves. Aim for "figurehead on a 19th-century ship".
- Rest your mermaid on top, tail elegantly curled.
- Add a single comb to the plate as a nod to tradition. Serve on crushed ice with lemon.
Substitutions
- No giant clamshell? A scallop shell will do for a very, very small mermaid.
Storage and leftovers
Does not keep. She will have left by morning, usually with the good silverware.
Nutrition (per serving, allegedly)
| Calories | 120 |
|---|---|
| Glamour | 100% daily value |
Tags: Date Night No Cook Raw Bar