Jul 10, 2015
Rum and Honey Prawn
Skewers
Makes 8 kebabs, enough for 2 lunch-sized portions or 8 hors
d’oeuvres
The combination of rum, honey, and fresh mint is a revelation in
this simple, delicious dish.
For the basting sauce:
2 Tbsp | 25 mL chopped fresh mint
1½ tsp | 7 mL lime juice
1 jigger Appleton Estate dark rum
1/3 cup | 75 mL liquid honey
1 tsp | 5 mL Dijon mustard
2 tsp | 10 mL vegetable oil
kosher salt to taste
For the prawns:
eight 7-inch | 18 cm bamboo skewers, soaked for at least 1 hour
16 extra large prawns, peeled and deveined (with tails on)
kosher salt
lime wedges and chopped mint for garnish
Whisk together the basting sauce ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle
about 1⁄3 of the sauce over the prawns, tossing them to coat them.
Set aside the rest of the sauce.
Assemble 8 skewers with 2 prawns on each.
Prepare the grill for medium direct heat. Place the kebabs on the
cooking grate. Cover the grill and cook them for 3–5 minutes,
turning and basting the kebabs regularly, until the prawns are firm
to the touch. Season them with a sprinkle of salt and serve them
with some of the remaining basting sauce drizzled over them.
Garnish them with lime wedges and a sprinkle of chopped mint.
Super-easy Grilled Jumbo Prawns with Curry
Paste
My pal Kosta the fishmonger shared this
great, simple way to grill jumbo prawns. Butterfly them (split them
in half lengthwise, which makes it easy to remove the vein) and
coat them with a mixture of your favorite curry paste cut with a
little neutral flavored oil (about 3 Tbsp | 45 mL curry paste mixed
with 1 Tbsp |15 mL oil will coat a dozen prawns). Grill the prawns
over high heat for about a minute or two per side, and finish them
by tossing them in a pan with some melted butter. Serve them with
lemon wedges for an outstanding appetizer.
Skewered Prawns Pistou
Makes 4 main course servings or 12 appetizer-sized servings
Pistou is the French equivalent of the Italian pesto sauce. In this
version I’ve added toasted nuts, anchovies, and lemon zest for an
extra kick. The pistou is great with prawns, and these jumbo
skewers create a spectacular impression. This sauce also works well
as a coating for roast lamb.
For the pistou:
1/4 cup | 50 mL lightly toasted pecans (almonds or pine nuts are
also excellent)
2 cups | 500 mL loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup | 250 mL loosely packed flat-leaf Italian parsley
12 anchovy fillets, rinsed
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 cup | 75 mL extra virgin olive oil
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated or chopped
For the prawns:
twelve 6-inch | 15 cm bamboo skewers, soaked for at least 1
hour
12 jumbo prawns, in their shells
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 cherry or grape tomatoes
lemon wedges for garnish
Combine the pecans, basil, parsley, anchovies, and garlic in a food
processor and process them until they’re smooth. Add the oil slowly
in a thin stream while the processor is running. Transfer the
pistou to a bowl, add the zest, and stir the pistou thoroughly.
Transfer about 1⁄2 cup | 125 mL of the pistou to a serving bowl and
reserve it for dipping.
Season the prawns with salt and pepper. Toss them with the
remaining pistou and refrigerate them for 20 minutes or up to 1
hour. When you’re ready to cook them, thread one prawn onto each
skewer, with a cherry tomato threaded between the tail and the
head.
Prepare the grill for
medium direct heat. Place the prawns on the cooking grate, cover
the grill, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes per side, or until just
cooked through. Serve them with the extra pistou for dipping and
garnish them with lemon wedges.