If prawns be the food of love, devein on.
I’m prepping for the month of love (if that’s your thing) with this recipe for grilled prawns with chilli. Made using wild-caught prawns and prepared with Wüsthof super sharp Chai Dao knife, this is my kind of date night food. Eaten with fingers, napkins optional – retro kids will recall that scene from 83’s Flashdance – prawns are the sexist sort of shellfish and so easy to whip up; leaving you with more quality time with your loved one.
For this recipe I’ve used a generous tablespoon of my smoked chilli sauce – the guidelines to which you can find here.
Grilled Prawns with Chilli
Prep time: 30 mins /Cook time: 6-8 mins /Serves: 4
You will need:
- 1kg prawns (roughly 10 per person)
- 100g butter
- 20ml olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2-3 red chillies, finely chopped
- Coarse ground sea salt
To devein prawns, use the Wüsthof Chai Dao knife to slice along the backbone of the prawn. Pull out the alimentary canal and discard. This also allows the paprika butter to permeate the prawn for all-over flavour.
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Stir through the paprika and chillies and remove the pan from the heat. Add in the garlic and leave the butter to sit for 5 minutes. Season the butter with salt to taste.
Arrange the cleaned prawns in a large ovenproof dish and pour over the paprika butter. If braaing the prawns, cook over medium heat coals for about 2 minutes a side. If cooking the prawns in the oven, place them in the dish under a hot (220°) grill for 2-3 minutes per side.
Serve the prawns with fresh crusty bread and a green salad.
