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While I shared a lot of chicken recipes last summer (if we don’t know what to cook for supper we usually just grab some from the freezer and marinate), today I want to share a recipe I’ve come up with recently that is such a quick, easy and delicious way to serve up another staple we also always have stashed in the freezer: prawns.
On a recent rummage through trying to decide what to grill that evening we unearthed all types; giant raw peeled, giant raw shell on, baby cocktail cooked, any you can think of. They’re one of my father’s favourites, so you can guarantee that if they happen to be on special offer as he walks past them in Waitrose, you can also pretty much guarantee they’ll find their way into the shopping trolly, and therefore our freezer.
Having so many prawns about of various types, I think as a family we’ve become pretty good at figuring out which type of prawn is best suited to various types of cooking.
While most people think the highly aesthetic raw, skin on type are best for marinating and barbecuing, I think they’re best kept for things when they’re served in their sauce like my Hot King Prawns in Garlic Butter or Honey & Co.’s revelatory Prawns in Orange, Tomato & Cardamom from their original cookbook (ad). Instead for barbecuing I prefer to use raw skin off prawns, because there is no fiddly peeling to do at the table, you can see when they’re done so they’re harder to overcook, and I think you get a better hit from the flavours in your marinade and the smokiness from the barbecue when you’re not peeling it all off before you eat. I’ve never really seen the point in removing flavour.
We’ve tried a few spiced versions recently but my favourite by far came the evening I decided to just throw a whole load of French garlic, a bit of lemon, the soft herbs we have growing in pots in the kitchen and by the back door at the moment (parsley, coriander and basil), some extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper into a bowl and hope for the best. We love them on their own, or as part of a surf-n-turf with our barbecued steaks.
This recipe for Herby Lemon Garlic Barbecue Prawns makes 6 skewers, 2 per person.
Transfer into a medium bowl, and stir in the garlic and the lemon juice, and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Stir in the olive oil and add the prawns, mixing around very well so they are well coated. Leave to marinade for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, soak 6 barbecue skewers in a clean sink of water. Soaking the skewers means they won’t catch light on the barbecue and makes for a much better cooking experience.
Divide the prawns between the skewers, and pour over the remaining marinade so they can carry on seeping while you wait for the grill master to pronounce that everything else is cooked, and it is time to give the prawns just a quick cook through before serving.
I'm a food writer, professional recipe developer and cookbook author living in the English Countryside. I love creating easy, accessable recipes filled with vibrant world flavours that are manageable on busy weeknights. Simple and delicious dinners, from my kitchen to yours!
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One Pan Pescatarian: 100 Delicious Dinners – Veggie, Vegan, Fish
My second cookbook contains 100 delicious dinner recipes, all of which are either vegetarian, vegan or which celebrate fish and seafood - all cooked in either one pot or one pan.*
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