Lemon Infused Salt And Pepper

One of the best cheats to have in your pantry here! Fantastic on fish, prawns, chicken and summery salads.

I make this quantity and then store the extra in an airtight spice jar for another day.

Ingredients

6 teaspoons salt flakes

Zest of 4 lemons

20 peppercorns

Method

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Centigrade. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.

Measure the salt and lemon zest onto the baking parchment.

Bake for 15 minutes until the lemon has dried out and is really fragrant.

Allow to cool a little and then pour into a mortar, add the peppercorns and grind to a powder.

Barbecued Prawns With Smoky Chipotle Butter

These prawns are epic according to one of my boys!

The butter quickly melts over the prawns so I like to serve them with some of the melted butter spooned over the top to no one misses out!

Serves 4. You can make the flavoured butter the day before and keep it rolled in the fridge or make it and freeze it for a week.

Ingredients

800g large prawns, deveined, peeled but leaving the tail intact

100g butter

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon chipotle chilli powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano

2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley

salt and pepper

Method

Make the flavoured butter first, combine all of the ingredients except the prawns in a processor and process until smooth.

Scrape the butter onto a large piece of platic wrap, cover and gently roll, twisting in the edges as you go.

Pop the butter into the fridge to harden.

Prepare the prawns and season with a little salt and pepper.

Heat the BBQ, once hot, cook the prawns.

Plate the prawns in your serving dish, top with slices of the butter and serve with slices of lime.

Herby Prawns

These are ridiculously tasty! You HAVE to eat these with your fingers as part of the enjoyment is the finger licking at the end!

I use shell on prawns, I then remove the shell, leaving the tail on, remove the vein and then butterfly the prawns to maximise the surface area for the marinade to cover.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

1kg prawns, shells removed, deveined and butterflied

120mls olive oil

3 garlic cloves

handful fresh parsley

handful fresh oregano

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 2 lemons

salt and pepper

Method

Process the oil, garlic, parsley, oregano, zest, juice, salt and pepper.

Combine the prawns and dressing in a large bowl and allow to marinade for 30 minutes.

Cook in a frying pan or on the barbecue flat plate over high heat until the prawn meat is cooked through.

Serve immediately.

Prawn and Mango Tostadas

Prawns and mango, summer must be coming!

These are simple but flavour loaded, I like to oven bake my corn tortillas to crisp them up, it’s healthier than frying!

I also like to add a few slices of avocado to make a more filling tostada if these are for a main course.

Serves 2.

Ingredients

16 large raw prawns, tails on

1 large red chilli, quartered lengthwise and then sliced

juice of 2 limes

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

1 large mango, cubed

fresh coriander

4 corn tortillas

Method

In a bowl, combine the prawns, chilli, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Allow to marinade for 30minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade, pop the corn tortillas onto two baking sheets and bake for 5-7 minutes to crisp up.

Heat a large frying pan until very hot.

Add the prawns, chilli and all of the liquid and quickly fry until the prawns are pink and cooked through and the liquid has evaporated.

In a bowl, combine the cooked prawns, mango and coriander.

Spoon onto your tortillas and serve.

Oven Baked Garlic Prawns

Who doesn’t love garlicky prawns?

I make these as part of a tapas meal and, as the oven is on for other things to bake I figure the prawns can go in too and save me washing another pan!

Serves 2 as a starter.

Ingredients

10 extra large prawns, peeled, tail attached and deveined

2 large garlic cloves, finely sliced

2 teaspoons olive oil

salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade.

Mix the prawns, garlic, oil, salt and pepper in an oven proof dish.

Pop the prawns into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Salt and Two Pepper Prawns

Ingredients

1kg raw banana prawns, peeled, tails intact

50g rice flour

1-2 teaspoons salt flakes

6 peppercorns

1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns

Oil for deep frying

Method

In a mortar, crush the salt and peppercorns.

Combine the pepper powder and flour in a bowl.

Heat the oil until a piece of bread sizzles when added.

In batches, dip 5-8 prawns in the flour mix, cover completely and drop into the oil.

Cook until fully cooked, remove with a slotted spoon and place on some kitchen paper to remove excess oil.

Repeat with the remaining prawns, keeping the batches small so you don’t over crowd the pan.

Place the prawns on your serving plate and season again with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Fishing Net Prawns

My youngest named these!

The pastry does resemble a fishing net as you unravel it so the name has stuck.

I have oven baked the prawns but you can deep fry them too and if prawns aren’t popular try strips of firm white fish, they work very well too.

The pastry that I buy here is egg free, just double check on your ingredients if you need to be egg free.

Serves 6.

Ingredients

1.2kg peeled and deveined large prawns with tails still attached

375g kataifi also known as shredded pastry

Sweet chilli sauce or lime mayo to serve

Method

Remove the pastry from the fridge and allow to come up to room temperature.

Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade.

Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.

Loosen the pastry with your finger tips until you have separated the strands. Cover the pastry with a damp tea towel when you aren’t using it.

Hold a prawn by its tail and take wind several strands of pastry around the prawn until it is completely covered.

Lay on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining prawns.

Bake the prawns for 10-12 mins until the prawn is cooked and the pastry crisp.

Serve with the sweet chilli sauce or lime mayo as a dip.

Prawns with Chorizo, Garlic and Thyme

This is a simple barbecue or pan cooked bowl of deliciousness for nibbles or a starter.

There is no added oil and the flavours of the chorizo and prawns are brought together beautifully with a few wedges of lemon to squeeze over.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

800g peeled prawns, tails still attached

200g chorizo, sliced thinly on the diagonal

2 cloves garlic, sliced

small bunch of thyme, leaves picked

lemon wedges to serve

Method

Heat a non stick frying pan or barbecue plate over a medium to high heat.

Add the chorizo and cook until crispy on both sides, set aside.

Add the garlic and prawns and cook until the prawns are cooked through, nice and pink.

Return the chorizo to the pan or barbecue, add the thyme leaves and toss with the prawns.

Spoon into a serving dish and serve with lemon slices.

Chilli and Lime Prawns

Fresh and zingy best describes these prawns!

The chillis are from the garden, from memory they are a Diablo chilli, so small with a medium heat, feel free to use any chilli and adjust the heat level to suit your taste.

I would usually leave the tails on the prawns but we have Grandpa staying with us at the moment and he doesn’t “do” shells so I have peeled them completely.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

1kg prawns, peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon olive oil

juice of two limes

4 cloves garlic, sliced

3 small chillies

small bunch fresh coriander

salt and pepper

Method

Marinade the prawns in the oil, lime juice, garlic, chilli, 2/3 of the coriander and a little salt and pepper for 15mins.

Heat a large frying pan over hot heat until very hot or use the BBQ hot plate.

Once the pan is hot add the prawns and stir fry for 2 mins until cooked.

Serve garnished with the remaining coriander.

Spiced Boiled Prawns

I love prawns at this time of year, the hot weather really lends itself to easy food, served at room temperature.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

1.5kg prawns, heads removed and shells on

4 tablespoons salt

4 teaspoons coriander seeds

3 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon all spice berries

12 whole cloves

8 black peppercorns

6 bay leaves

2 lemons

Method

Make a bouquet garni with the whole spices, except the peppercorns and  bay leaves. Take a large square of muslin, fold over twice to make a smaller square, fill with the spices and tie off with some cotton cooking twine.

Fill a large pan with litres of water.

Cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the pan and add the lemon halves.

Add the peppercorns and bay leaves to the pan.

Add the bouquet garni and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer for 15mins until the water has coloured a little from the spices.

Add the prawns and turn off the heat, cover the pan and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Drain and allow to cool.

Serve with lemon wedges.