I think that this recipe is truly the loveliest and most delicious way to cook prawns. It’s the classic combination of garlic and parsley with the sweetness of prawns. A little chilli works amazingly well too, though I have to add the chilli to my portion separately once cooked as my little boys shout at me if the food is too spicy!
Did you know it’s actually the prawn shells that release the savoury seafood taste which works so well with the sweetness of the prawn meat? Prawn shells are full of the naturally occurring umami compound called glutamate. When you cook prawns, even for just a few minutes with their shells on, the glutamate is released and it’s this that takes the flavour of the dish to the next level.
Seafood is an incredible source of omega 3. These are the essential fatty acids that are vital for developing your child’s brain. There are not that many dishes that are this easy to make, so it’s a good one to cook up when you have very little time but need your children to come rushing to the table in anticipation of something very tasty.
Miraculous ingredient: Unsalted butter, raw prawns in their shells
Prawns (shrimps) with garlic, parsley and chilli
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
20g unsalted butter
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
½ fresh bird eye red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped – optional (my little boys hate chilli so I add it to my portion once the prawns are cooked)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
250g raw prawns in their shells (or approx. 4 prawns per person)
METHOD
Place a large frying on a low heat to warm through while you prepare the ingredients.
Finely chop the garlic, parsley and chilli. Add all the olive oil and butter to the pan, turn the heat up to medium and add the garlic, parsley and chilli when the butter has just melted. Stir and fry for 30 seconds.
Add the prawns and leave to fry gently on one side until the prawns change from grey to pink (approx. 4 minutes). Turn the prawns over and fry the other side until they change colour to pink. Stir the prawns in the pan, turning them and checking that they are pink all over. The cooking time will depend on how big or small the prawns are. Don’t be tempted to overcook as prawns toughen very fast, stop cooking as soon as they turn pink.
Serve immediately.
Preparation time 5 minutes, cooking 10 minutes, 2 adult portions, 2 child portions.