I have just discovered cooked frozen prawns and my life will never be the same. I have not been this excited since I realised that I suddenly loved sushi. Like, loved. And in a similar zero-to-hero fashion, I will probably cook almost exclusively with prawns for weeks to come. Can you even call it cooking when you just have to heat them through, and you don’t even need to chop them?? Let’s be honest, one of the most boring (and time-consuming) things about cooking is the chopping, and being able to shake these little guys out of a packet is truly a marvel. Of course, if you want to go all ‘fresh uncooked’, by all means don’t let me stop you. Maybe just give them an extra minute in the frying pan. There will no doubt be many more prawn recipes to come, but this is honestly spectacular – really fresh and quick, and right up there with the most delicious starters of all time. Literally 5 minutes from fridge/freezer to plate, and it seems so much more fancy than the amount of effort warrants. Which is just how I like it.
Lemon & Chilli Prawns with Garlic Butter
100g ready-to-eat small prawns (fresh or frozen)
1 red chilli, chopped
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp peanut oil
1 tblsp butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
fresh coriander, to serve
*serves 2 as a starter
Heat the peanut oil in a non-stick wok or frying pan (if you don’t have peanut oil, olive oil is perfectly fine too) – to a medium heat. Add the prawns and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. If you’ve used frozen, they will release a bit of water, just remove excess with a spoon. Add the lemon zest and chopped chilli, and toss for another minute. Because they are already cooked, they just need to be heated properly through. Combine the butter and crushed garlic in a small dipping bowl, and microwave for 30 seconds, till sizzling. Plate with fresh coriander or rocket, and serve with chopsticks, for delicate dunking.
A Pie Squared 