Rick Stein's Gremolata Prawns

Rick Stein's Gremolata Prawns

If you love eating and cooking with prawns, then please allow me to share with you one of my favourite recipes: Rick Stein's Gremolata Prawns. This is the first dish I cooked for Peter in the early stages of our dating and, almost seven years later, I believe it must have been quite a hit!

Rick Stein is one of my food heroes. I had the immense pleasure of welcoming Rick to Canberra to present a cooking class for myself and my colleagues several years ago. Needless to say, the event was sold out! When it comes to cooking seafood, Rick's passion and knowledge is second to none.

This quick adaptation of the Gremolata Prawns recipe is from Rick's brilliant big seafood bible, Rick Stein's Seafood. You need twenty large green unpeeled prawns, olive oil, the zest and juice of a large lemon (or two), three cloves of garlic that you have finely chopped, some Cayenne pepper (or chilli), a few tablespoons of chopped flat-leaf parsley, and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

To make the dish, simply heat the oil in a large frypan or wok, add the prawns and toss them over a high heat for four or five minutes. Add the sea salt and pepper, and chilli or cayenne if using. Pour half of the lemon juice over the prawns, allow it to sizzle and continue to cook until the lemon juice has evaporated. 

(Note, I also add the garlic in the last few moments while the pan is still on the heat, however Rick suggests adding it to prawns with the lemon zest and chopped parsley gremolata. I prefer to cook the garlic off just a little). 

Sprinkle over the gremolata and serve. Rick recommends that you serve 'with finger bowls and plenty of napkins'.

A few simple ingredients make for a flavour-packed meal

Toss the prawns into a hot wok, you can see what Elizabeth Chong calls the 'breath of the wok' rising in this photo.

The prawns quickly turn to pink. Add the garlic and the chilli or cayenne at this stage. After that, add the lemon juice. Sizzle!

A good zester, such as this, makes preparing gremolata a breeze. Finely chop the rind after zesting if you wish.

The completed dish, so simple and packed with flavour!

A simple garden salad is the perfect accompaniment. Add some steamed garlic rice for a more substantial meal.

Serve with finger bowls and large napkins!