Snapper crudo with watermelon, caper and chilli

This is a fresh and delicate little raw fish number. The sweetness and crunch of the watermelon is excellent with the gentle flavour of the snapper while the hint of chilli and the caper saltiness add a little extra oomph.

Snapper crudo with watermelon, caper and chilli Credit: Benito Martin

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 90 g watermelon, cut into a 5 mm dice
• 1 long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp small capers, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup delicate extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• river salt and white pepper
• 280 g sashimi-grade snapper fillet, skinned and deboned

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl, place the watermelon, chilli, capers, oil and lemon juice. Give it a gentle season and a good mix until you are happy with the flavours. You want it to have a mild acidic note but overall a fairly gentle flavour. Once you are satisfied, add in the parsley, mix to combine and then set aside in the fridge.

Now to the snapper, this step will depend on the size of your fillet and your knife skills. You will need a sharp knife. Cut the fillet in half lengthways, down the middle, and then start to slice it on an angle perpendicular to the grain. Try to slice the fish in a smooth and gentle sweeping motion.

As you are cutting, start laying the snapper slices immediately onto your serving dishes (I would suggest plating this dish individually on plates rather than on a sharing platter - either is fine, though, as long as the plates or platter are cold.) Arranging the slices as you cut means less handling of the fish.

Arrange the fish flat-ish, starting in the centre of the plate, building outward in a roundish shape.

Once all the snapper is sliced and arranged, take your watermelon mixture from the fridge and give it another mix. Use a spoon to gently spoon the watermelon mixture among each plate. Drizzle any remaining juice over at the end. Serve immediately.

Cook’s tips

• The watermelon garnish is equally tasty with any other white-fleshed fish, so let quality and what’s available be your guide.

• A nice firm and non-floury piece of watermelon is essential here.

• A sashimi knife is very useful for the cutting of the fish but more important is the sharpness of your knife.

Photography by Benito Martin. Food styling by O Tama Carey. Prop styling by Lynsey Fryers. Food preparation by Nick Banbury.

This recipe is part of The seasonal cook: Watermelon column. View previous The seasonal cook columns and recipes.

Always on the hunt for the next vegetable to pickle, follow O Tama Carey on Instagram.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.