Wine Suggestion: Something red from Italy’s Adriatic coast, but nothing too big or complex as this is a fun, casual dish! For us Umani Ronchi’s Rosso Conero Serrano, a Montepulciano – Sangiovese blend that has a medium body, fresh and bright cherry fruits and a gentle, earthy tannins was the ticket.
Prawn spaghetti with tomato, chilli & basil – serves 2
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
150g baby plum tomatoes
150ml white wine
200g spaghetti
a handful of basil leaves
225g raw peeled prawns
a generous knob of butter
Warm the oil in a large frying pan, then add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until starting to soften, then add the white wine and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions in lots of very salty water, then drain but reserve a cup of the cooking water.
Add the basil and prawns to the tomatoes, season well, and cook until the prawns turn pink. Stir in the butter and spaghetti and a splash of pasta cooking water if you need to loosen the sauce a bit. Toss it all together and serve.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, March 2020.)
This will improve your veg intake for the day and puts frozen prawns to good use. A perfect curry for mid-week. Serve with naan breads or rice and lime wedges.
Prawn, spinach & coconut curry – serves 2-3
2 tbsp olive oil
200g raw prawns, defrosted if frozen
1 onion, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1-2 chillies, deseeded
1 red pepper, sliced
2 tbsp curry paste, we like Patak’s Madras
400ml tin of coconut milk
80g Tenderstem broccoli, cooked until tender
100g baby spinach
lime wedges, to serve
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and chillies and fry for another 2 minutes, then addd the sliced pepper and cook for 3 minutes until softened.
Push the veg to one side and fry the curry paste for a couple of minutes to heat through, then add the coconut milk and mix well to combine. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until thickened, then add the prawns, broccoli and spinach. Stir well and simmer until the prawns are just cooked and the spinach wilted.
Serve with rice or naan breads and lime wedges for squeezing over.
A lovely fiskesuppe with delicate flavours and delicious chunks of seafood. You can use whatever mix of fish and shellfish you like, clams would be nice. Serve with lots of steamed potatoes.
Wine Suggestion: Fish, cream, brandy … demands a richer white with a touch of oak and Quinta Soalheiro’s Alvarinho Reserva fitted the bill. Textured and buttery, but at the same time bone dry and vibrantly fresh and full of citrus fruit and salty crisp peaches. A wine so fresh and pure, and yet round and embracing.
Norwegian Fish Chowder – serves 4
100g cooked shell-on prawns
1 litre fish stock
1 bay leaf
a handful of flat-leaf parsley, plus a handful of parsley leaves, chopped, to serve
12 peppercorns
2 carrots, roughly diced
2 celery sticks, roughly diced
1 leek, thinly sliced
100ml dry white wine
50ml brandy
300ml double cream
100g skinless salmon fillet, cubed into 2cm pieces
150g haddock fillet, cubed into 2cm pieces
20 mussels, cleaned
steamed potatoes (to serve)
Shell the prawns and put the shells in a large saucepan with the fish stock, bay leaf, parsley, peppercorns, carrot, celery and leek. Bring to the boil and cook for 10-15 minutes. Pour in the wine and brandy and boil for another 5 minutes, then strain into a clean pan.
Add the double cream and bring back to a simmer. Add the salmon, haddock and mussels and cook for 3-4 minutes, adding the cooked prawns for just a minute to warm through at the end. Season and scatter over the chopped parsley. Serve in warm bowls and add potatoes.
(Original recipe by Signe Johansen in Olive Magazine, January 2014.)
This is great for using up leftover cooked rice. We also had some leftover char siu pork which was delicious chopped up and stirred through.
Wine Suggestion: This calls for an easy style of Grüner Veltliner, like Forrest Estate’s version from Marlborough NZ. Maybe not quite the same as Austrian versions but very pleasurable nonetheless.
800g cooked rice, it needs to be cooked at least a few hours in advance
4 scallions, finely sliced, separate the green and white parts
225g cooked ham or pork, diced
225g frozen peas
1½ tbsp thick soy sauce
30-45ml stock
FOR THE PRAWN MARINADE:
a pinch of salt
1½ tsp cornflour
½ egg white
Devein the prawns and cut into 2cm pieces. Pat dry with kitchen paper and put into a bowl.
Make the marinade for the prawns by mixing the salt, cornflour and egg white together. Stir into the prawns to coat evenly, then leave in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Heat a wok until smoking. Add 2 tbsp of the oil, give it a swirl, then add the garlic. As soon as it starts to colour, add the prawns, stirring to separate with a metal spoon for about 30 seconds or until almost cooked and turning pink. Add the Shaoxing wine and as soon as the sizzling calms down, scoop out the prawns and set aside. You will now need to wash and dry your wok.
Lightly beat the eggs with 1 tbsp of the oil and a pinch of salt. Heat a large frying pan until hot, add 1 tbsp of the oil and tip the pan to coat the surface. Pour in half the beaten egg and tip the spread to the edges. When set, turn over and fry for a few seconds on the other side. Remove to a plate and slice into thin strips.
Break up any lumps in the cooked rice. Blanch the peas in boiling salty water for a few minutes, then drain well.
Reheat the wok over a high heat until smoking. Add the remaining 4 tbsp of oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the white parts of the scallions, pour in the rest of the beaten egg, then immediately add the rice. Turn and toss the rice with a metal spoon scooping up the raw egg from the bottom of the wok.
When the rice is hot, add the ham or pork, then stir in the peas and prawns. Finally add the soy sauce and stock, stirring all the time.
Add the green parts of the scallions, then tip out onto a platter and garnish with the strips of egg.
(Original recipe from Yan-Kit’s Classic Chinese Cookbook, by Yan-Kit So, DK, 1984.)
Try this idea by Tom Kerridge as an alternative to prawn cocktail. It’s delicious!
Wine Suggestion: Muscadet, or Alvarinho/Albariño. Plenty of choices out there, tonight a Pazo de Señorans Albariño but many more could have equally filled the slot. Keep it fun.
Prawn salad with bloody mary dressing – serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle more to serve
2 cloves of garlic, finely grated
a few pinchs of cayenne pepper
20 large tiger prawns, peeled and deveined
lemon wedges, to serve
FOR THE DRESSING:
5 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp tomato purée
5 good splashes of hot sauce, we used Frank’s
1 tbsp creamed horseradish
1 tbsp vodka
a large pinch of celery salt
FOR THE SALAD:
2 ripe avocados, cut into chunky dice
3 celery sticks, peeled and sliced into chunks, keep any leaves to garnish
½ iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 ripe plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
Mix the dressing ingredients together, season with salt, and set aside. Keep it in the fridge if you make it in advance.
Mix the oil and garlic in a bowl with salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper, then add the prawns and marinate in the fridge, covered, for 10 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
Prep the salad before you cook the prawns and scatter over a large platter.
Heat a griddle pan over a medium heat, when hot lay on the prawns and cook for no more than a couple of minutes on each side, they need to turn pink and be just cooked through.
Scatter the prawns over the salad, drizzle generously with the dressing, sprinkle over the celery leaves and another pinch of cayenne, then drizzle with a little more oil. Serve with the lemon wedges.
(Original recipe by Tom Kerridge in BBC Good Food Magazine, October 2021.)
Spanish seafood pasta, made like a paella and with a dollop of alioli … what could be more reminiscent of dinner by the sea on holidays; this dish smells like Spain. Lightly does it when cooking the seafood.
Wine Suggestion: A lighltly chilled Garnacha Negra (Grenache Noir) from Terra Alta springs to mind – they really have a wonderful affinity for this grape there, alongside the Garnacha Blanca too. Edetaria’s basic “via Terra” has all the joy, freshness and perfume to compliment the flavours of the food while adding an extra warm spice and red fruits to lift it further. 30 minutes in the fridge was enough to make it taste and feel like sunshine in Spain, even if the weather outside isn’t quite like that at the moment.
Seafood pasta – serves 6 (easily halved)
6 tbsp olive oil
400g monkfish fillet
4 baby squid, cleaned and bodies cut into rings
12 raw peeled king prawns
12 queen scallops (or you can cut bigger ones in half)
4-5 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tsp sweet paprika
a good pinch of saffron threads
1.25 litres of fish or chicken stock
500g fideua pasta (or you can use vermicelli or spaghettini)
3 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
lemons quarters, to garnish
garlic mayonnaise or alioli, to serve
Heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a large paella pan (40-45cm). Add the monkfish, sprinkle with salt, and cook for a few minutes, turning. Add the squid and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Add the prawns and scallops and turn until the prawns are pink and scallops just seared, just a minute or two. Transfer the cooked seafood to a platter and pour off and reserve any cooking liquid.
Heat the rest of the oil in the same pan, stir in the garlic and stir briefly, then stir in the tomatoes. Add the paprika, saffron and some salt, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the liquid has almost evaporated.
Meanwhile, bring the stock and cooking liquid to the boil. Add the pasta to the sauce in the paella pan and cook, stirring, until well coated. Pour in the boiling and cook until the pasta is al dente. Place the seafood on top a few minutes before the end.
Serve sprinkled with parsley and with lemon and alioli or galric mayonnaise on the side.
(Original recipe from Claudia Roden, The Food of Spain, Michael Joseph, 2012.)
We’ve had limited success with prawn cakes in the past, they often fall apart. These are grilled which makes things much easier and the peanut chilli sauce is amazing!
Wine Suggestion: these call for a vibrant, youthful white like Weingut Korrell’s Weißer Burgunder (Pinot Blanc) which was full of charming pear and apple flavours with a zesty citrus twist that complemented the limes and fish sauce a treat.
Prawn cakes with peanut chilli sauce – serves 4 as a starter
2 tbsp palm sugar or soft brown sugar
3 cm piece of fresh ginger
a handful of coriander leaves, chopped
3 small Thai shallots, thinly sliced
1 long red chilli, diced
400g raw peeled prawns
zest of 2 limes
1 tbsp fish sauce
3 tsp vegetable oil
chilled iceberg lettuce, to serve
FOR THE PEANUT CHILLI SAUCE:
100g caster sugar
100ml rice vinegar
2 red chillies, diced
2 tbsp peanuts, toasted, finely chopped
2 small Thai shallots, chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp coriander
Put the palm or brown sugar into a small frying pan with 1 tbsp of water. Mix together and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat.
To make the peanut chilli sauce, boil the sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes or until syrupy. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely, then add the chilli, peanuts, shallot, fish sauce and coriander.
To make the cakes, put the ginger, coriander, shallot and chilli in a food processor and blend until fine. Add the prawns, lime zest and fish sauce and pulse until combined, keep it chunky. Season with plenty of black pepper.
Put a little oil on your hands, then form the prawn mixture into 16 flat cakes. Put in the fridge until ready to cook.
Preheat the grill. Brush both sides of the prawn cakes with a tiny bit of oil then put on a rack on top of a baking tray.
Grill the cakes for 1 minute, then brush the tops with the palm sugar syrup. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until opaque, there is no need to turn. Serve warm with the chilled lettuce leaves and peanut chilli sauce.
(Original recipe from My Asian Kitchen by Jennifer Joyce, Murdoch Books, 2018.)
Barbecued watermelon is a revelation for us as it really intensifies the flavour. This combination with prawns, feta and chilli is total winner! Serve as a starter at your next barbecue. Another fab idea from Chasing Smoke.
Wine Suggestion: This dish has a real affinity with a juicy, youthful Grenache, be it a Rosé or a lightly chilled red like tonight’s Rubus by Jesus Romero. Made at 1000m above sea-level in the rural, far south of Aragon, Spain this is all cherry, blackberry and spice; seriously gluggable.
Grilled watermelon and prawns with feta & chilli – serves 4
12 whole prawns in the shells (buy 16 if they’re small)
2 thick slices from a large watermelon
1 red chilli, sliced into rings (if you cut of the stalk and rub the chilli between your hands the seeds will fall out)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
250g feta
a small bunch of mint, leave half the leaves whole and chop the rest
3 tbsp olive oil, plus a bit extra for brushing
1 tsp roughly crushed black pepper
Take a small pointy knife and cut and cut down the back of each prawn, when you see the digestive string gently pull it out with the tip of the knife. Leave the prawns in a bowl in the fridge until ready to cook.
Cut the watermelon into 8 large wedges, leaving the skin on.
Mix the chilli slices with the vinegar and salt and set aside.
Light your barbecue and get it up to a high heat.
Brush the watermelon with some olive oil, then put on the hottest part of the barbecue for 1-2 minutes on each side or until charred. Remove to a platter, then grill the prawns for a 2-3 minutes on each side, depending how big they are.
Add the prawns to the watermelon, crumble over the feta, then scatter with the mint leaves.
Stir the olive oil, black pepper and chopped mint into the marinating chilli and drizzle over the platter.
(Original recipe from Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over Fire Aroudn the Levant by Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich, Pavilion, 2021.)
It’s a very long time since we’ve had a pub lunch but if we could have one we’d probably order something like this!
Wine Suggestion: A classic combination like this cries out for a Muscadet. Domaine de la Chauviniere’s is super-fresh and almost saline, dry but soft and approachable with hints of grapefruits and melon with a green edge. It has a good body without any weight, so effortless next to this dish.
Prawns, soda bread and lemon mayonnaise – serves 4
FOR THE SODA BREAD:
1 handful of oats
375g plain flour
10g salt
7g bicarbonate of soda
300ml buttermilk
FOR THE LEMON MAYONNAISE:
2 egg yolks
a pinch of salt
½ tsp Dijon mustard
400ml sunflower oil
FOR THE PRAWNS:
4 litres of iced water
7 tbsp salt
1kg shell-on prawns
bay leaves (optional), scrunched a bit
lots of ice
Preheat the oven to 180C/160 fan/Gas 4.
Start by making the soda bread. Dust a baking tray with a few oats.
Sift the plain flour into a large bowl with the salt and bicarbonate of soda. Make a well in the centre and gradually pour in the buttermilk, gently turning the mixture over in the bowl with a large metal spoon. You need it all to come together in a sticky mass that you can form into dough but try not to mix it too much.
Lightly flour a work surface and tip the dough onto it. Shape into a round and slash a deep cross in the top. Put the loaf on the baking tray and sprinkle the top with a few more oats.
Bake for about 35 minutes, or until crisp all over and it should sound hollow when you tap the bottom. Cool on a wire rack while you make the mayonnaise.
Use a whisk to combine the egg yolks, a pinch of salt and the mustard in a bowl and season with a little pepper. Start adding the oil, just a few drops at a time, whisking into the egg mixture. Very slowly increase the amount of oil that you add each time, whisking thoroughly after each addition. When the mayonnaise has started to hold it’s shape you can add the oil in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly.
When all of the oil has been added, you should have a thick, wobbly mayonnaise. Add lemon zest and juice to taste and season again salt and plenty of black pepper.
Pour the iced water into a bowl and season with 4 tbsp of salt.
Bring 4 litres of water to the boil in a large saucepan, then add 3 tbsp of salt. Add the prawns to the boiling water and bring back to the boil. Cook for about 2 minutes or until bright pink and just cooked.
Drain and tip the prawns immediately into the iced water. Leave for 10 minutes, until very nicely chilled. You may need to add more ice if it melts. Drain the prawns and serve with the bread and lemon mayonnaise.
(Original recipe from Home Cookery Year by Claire Thompson, Quadrille, 2020.)
We’ve tried this Spanish pasta dish before, but with limited success, however this version was a triumph. We had the proper fideos noodles this time which we think might have helped. As we can’t go on holidays at the moment we thought we’d cook holiday dishes instead. Serve with some aïoli.
Wine Suggestion: this dish cries out for a fresh Garnacha like the Edetaria via Terra which is from Terra Alta DO in the south of Catalonia. Inland, at some altitude and on specific soils this area produces some of the best wines from this grape anywhere with a freshness and weightlessness from lovely ripe grapes.
Prawn fideua – serves 4
olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
100g chorizo, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp sweet paprika
a pinch of saffron strands
1 tsp salt
400g tin of plum tomatoes, lift the tomatoes out of the juice with a spoon and discard the juice left in the tin
350g fideos noodles
600ml freshly boiled water
400g whole shell-on prawns
lemon wedges, to serve
Cover the base of a paella or sauté pan with olive oil, then warm over a medium heat. Add the onion, pepper, chorizo and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes or until the onions and peppers are soft.
Add the paprika, saffron and salt and stir over the heat for a minute, then add the tomatoes – squeezing them with your hands as you add them to the pan to break them up. Cook for 2 minutes to thicken.
Add the fideos noodles and stir to coat well, then add the boiled water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, then spread the prawns over the surface and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes, or until the water has evaporated and a crust is forming on the bottom of the pan. The prawns will turn pink when cooked, you can turn them over to help them along.
Remove from the heat and rest for 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges and aïoli.
(Original recipe from New Kitchen Basics by Claire Thomson, Quadrille, 2019.)
We loved this creamy coconut fish stew from Equador. We went for big chunks of swordfish and prawns but you can substitute other types of fish, like tuna or pollock. Serve with rice.
Wine Suggestion: try to find a light, earthy red with low tannins for this dish, and not too much acidity like a Gamay, riper Pinot Noir or a light Grenache. Tonight’s choice was Domaine Bellier’s Cheverny rouge, a Pinot Noir-Gamay blend from the warm 2018 vintage in the Loire. An under-rated wine region and a good accompaniment to the fish, spices and flavours of this dish.
Encocado – serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
3 clove of garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
4 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
400ml tin coconut milk
1 lime, juiced
½ orange, juiced
600g skinless boneless fish cut into 5 cm pieces (you can use snapper, prawns, tuna, swordfish or pollock – we used swordfish and prawns).
a thumb-sized piece of ginger
a small handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely sliced
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat.
Cook the onion and pepper for 7 to 8 minutes or until soft and golden, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the spices and some salt, mix well, then add the tomatoes, tomato purée and 100ml of water. Mix well and cook for about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes start to break down.
Add the coconut milk, lime juice and orange juice, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the fish and stir, then grate in the ginger. Cover and cook gently for 10-12 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. If you are using prawns they won’t take so long to cook so just add them for the last couple of minutes. Scatter over the coriander and chilli to serve.
(Original recipe by John Gregory-Smith in Olive Magazine, April 2018.)
We’ve done this Korean dish before, but it’s worth revisiting because its so easy and delicious. It’s a nice starter to throw together for guests as they arrive, presuming you’re allowed to have guests. For now we have that on hold but it makes an event for the two of us.
Aperitif Suggestion: A good dry Oloroso sherry, or a Manzanilla sherry with a bit of age, we had La Gitana’s single vineyard Pasada Pastrana.
Pan-Fried King Prawns – serves 2 but easily doubled
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 cm piece of ginger, peeled & finely grated
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp roasted sesame oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp vegetable oil
150g king prawns, shelled
1 scallion, thinly sliced
2 tsp roasted pine nuts, roughly chopped
Make the sauce by combining the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and honey in a bowl.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok, or pan, over a high heat. When very hot add the prawns and cook for a minute. Turn over and add the sauce. Fry for a further minute or until cooked through. Use your instinct here this depends on the size of your prawns and the heat of your pan. Don’t let them overcook!
Remove and pile onto a plate, sprinkle over the scallions and pine nuts, then serve.
(Original recipe from Our Korean Kitchen by Jordan Bourke & Rejina Pyo, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2015.)
We just can’t resist runner beans when we see them and were so glad to find this recipe which puts them to good use. Healthy enough for a weeknight too.
Wine Suggestion: for a dish with both chicken and shellfish we prefer textural white wines. With an extra umami-savoury element we find that Grüner Veltliner also complements the paprika and saffron here. Tonight a wine from a friend in the business, the Schloss Gobelsburg Langenlois Kamptal GV. Quite a ripe style but with backbone and finesse too.
850ml hot chicken stock, with 2 large pinches of saffron added
350g runner beans, peel down the sides with a vegetable peeler to remove any strings, then thickly slice into chunks
1 large red pepper, chopped
200g raw large king prawns
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onions and garlic, and fry for 5 minutes. Push the onions to one side, then add the chicken thighs and cook for 10 minutes or until browned.
Stir in the rice and paprika, then pour in the wine and let is sizzle for a minute or two. Add the saffron stock, then stir in the beans and pepper, and cook for about 15 minutes or until the rice is tender and most of the stock absorbed. You can add a bit more stock if needed.
Add the prawns for the last few minutes, they will turn pink when cooked. Season generously and allow to stand for a few minutes before serving.
Messy but oh so good! Treat your friends to a pile of these at your next barbecue and you will be very popular. Napkins, finger bowls, baby wipes etc., essential!
Wine Suggestion: we think this needs an uncomplicated and fun white like a Picpoul de Pinet, Muscadet or Albariño, or going up a gear we chose the Bodegas Katxina Txakoli from near San Sebastien in Spain … tapas, sun, seafood and socialising. Happy days.
1kg large raw tiger prawns with the shell on, remove the heads before cooking
FOR THE BUTTER:
1 large clove of garlic
a small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
juice of 1 lime, plus wedges to serve
200g butter, softened
Make the butter by putting the garlic, coriander, chilli and lime juice into a food processor and pulse until chopped.
Toss 1 tbsp of the flavoured butter with prawns and leave in the fridge until ready to cook.
Put the rest onto a piece of tin foil and roll into a sausage shape. Put into the freezer to harden.
Preheat the barbecue, then cook the prawns for a few minutes on each side until pink. Serve on a platter and melt thin slices of the butter over the top. You can also melt some extra butter and serve on the side if you want. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over.
This is not an authentic paella recipe but we guarantee it will remind you of days in the sun. It’s made in the oven from start to finish and all you have to do is add the ingredients in the correct order.
Wine Suggestion: Spanish influenced wine it has to be. If it’s baking hot try a dry, Garnacha Rosé, though for us tonight it had to be red as it was cool and wet. The choice was a little left-field as it was from Teruel, an old, abandoned wine region (caused by the de-population of country areas during their civil war) being rehabilitated by a couple of young winemakers making their own way. The Bodegas Jesus Romero Quercus is garnacha, tempranillo, syrah and a little cabernet franc planted in poor, stony soils with excellent drainage and elevation near Valencia. We are really impressed each time we taste this, and a good match for the dish too!
Paella Mixta – serves 4
400g tin chopped tomatoes
600ml chicken stock
1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
2 pinches of saffron
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tbsp olive oil
300g paella rice
4 chicken thigh fillets, trimmed and cut in half
200g chorizo, sliced
85g frozen peas
150g raw king prawns
250g mussels, cleaned and throw away those that won’t close when tapped
lemon wedges, to serve
a small handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
Put the onion and garlic into the base of a large, shallow, ovenproof pan. Drizzle with the olive oil, then toss to coat. Put into the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the onion has started to brown. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t overdo.
Meanwhile, put the tin of tomatoes, the chicken stock, the smoked paprika and saffron into a saucepan and heat until piping hot.
Remove the onions from the oven and stir in the rice, chicken, chorizo and hot stock mixture. Season and return to the oven for 20 minutes (uncovered).
Gently stir through the peas and arrange the mussels and prawns on the top. The mussel hinges should be facing downwards. Arrange the lemon wedges around the edge and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the mussels have opened and everything else is cooked. Throw away any mussels that haven’t opened. Scatter over the parsley and serve. Finger bowls and napkins essential!
There was lots of panic buying in Dublin when we went into lockdown but actually we were able to get pretty much everything, except orecchiette! After four orecchiette-free months we’ve finally got our hands on some. To celebrate we really enjoyed this simple pasta dish with locally grown courgettes.
Wine Suggestion: our choice tonight was a southern Italian white from Fiano made by Michele Biancardi in Puglia. Hints of honey, white flowers and a salty tang this wine speaks of the southern sun, and fresh breezes off the Adriatic seas. Travelling in a glass, when we can’t do it yet physically.
Creamy tomato, courgette & prawn pasta – serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil
2 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 large or 400g baby courgettes, sliced
400g orecchiette pasta, or any other small pasta shape
2 x 400g cans cherry tomatoes
good pinch of sugar
200g raw prawns, peeled
100g crème fraîche
small pack basil, leaves only, torn
Heat the oil in a large pan, add the garlic and cook gently for a few minutes, then add the courgettes and cook until starting to soften.
Meanwhile, cook the orecchiette according to the timing on the pack.
Add the tomatoes, sugar and some salt and pepper to the pan, then simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.
Add the prawns to the sauce and stir until they turn pink. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce along with the crème fraîche. Simmer for another couple of minutes to warm through, then add the basil before serving.
Some might say retro, but make this and you’ll have to admit it is a classic! This is not the authentic recipe, but it makes the best version we’ve come across so far by using Heinz salad cream and pink peppercorns. You can make the prawn mix up a few hours in advance and leave it in the fridge.
Wine Suggestion: pink with pink … you just have to! Tonight something different, the Les Prunes Blanc des Mandó from near Valencia. Quite possibly Spain’s best answer to a dry, savoury, Provençal rosé … and a useful 11.5% abv.
Prawn cocktail – serves 6
450g small cooked prawns (frozen ones work well but defrost thoroughly, drain well, and pat dry with kitchen paper)
200g salad cream
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp lemon juice
a few drops of Tabasco
little gem lettuces
1 tbsp pink peppercorns, crushed (or 2 tsp paprika if you don’t have the peppercorns)
Mix the salad cream, ketchup, lemon juice and Tabasco in a large bowl, then fold in the prawns.
Finely shred the lettuce and use to line individual bowls or a platter. Spoon the prawns over the top and scatter with the crushed peppercorns or paprika.
(Original recipe from Feast by Nigella Lawson, Chatto & Windus, 2004.)
A healthy, weeknight dish with lovely flavours. Another recipe for using up bits and bobs you may already have which is our primary motivation for cooking mid-week.
Wine Suggestion: a fresh white or a crisp, dry rosé would be our choice for this dish. We had a glass of the Chateau Pesquie Terrasses Rosé from Ventoux (and quite Provençal in style) and enjoyed it thoroughly.
Barbecued prawn kebabs with harissa & couscous – serves 4
2 ½ tbsp olive oil
1 onion, halved lengthways, then each half quartered into 4 chunks
1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
3 carrots, coarsely grated
200g couscous
400g raw prawns
16 cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp harissa
2 tsp tahini paste
2 tbsp low-fat natural yoghurt
1 small garlic clove, crushed
juice ½ lemon, plus wedges, to serve
handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
Put 1 ½ tbsp of olive oil into a large sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened but not coloured, they’ll fall apart and that’s fine. Scoop them out of the pan and set aside.
Heat the remaining tbsp of oil in the same pan, add the cumin seeds and toast for a few minutes until they smell good. Tip the carrots into the pan and season, then cook for a few minutes or until tender. Transfer to a bowl, then pour over the couscous and 400ml hot water. Cover with cling film and leave for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, get your barbecue going. Put the prawns, cherry tomatoes and softened onions in another bowl, season, then stir in the harissa. Thread the prawns, tomatoes and onions onto metal skewers (you can use wooden ones either but you need to soak in water for 20 minutes first). Barbecue the kebabs for a couple of minutes on each side, or until the prawns are cooked through.
Mix the tahini, yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice and seasoning to make a sauce. Fork the mint though the couscous, transfer to a platter and place the skewers on top. Serve with the sauce and lemon wedges.
You will need lots of crusty bread for these to mop up all the delicious butter. What a treat.
Wine Suggestion: Light, white, youthful and with a salty tang. Our pick today, the Allo from Quinta Soalheiro from Northern Portugal, an Alvarinho-Loureiro blend which was in the firdge. We could have easily had a Muscadet, Picpoul or Verdicchio either.
Garlic, chilli & coriander prawns – serves 4
5 garlic cloves, grated
½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
large bunch of coriander, leaves and stalks finely chopped
100g unsalted butter
½ tsp nigella seeds
600g raw tiger prawns, shells off but you can leave the tails on if you like
1 lemon
Mash the garlic, chilli and coriander into the butter.
Heat a large frying pan, add the butter and let if melt. Add the prawns, nigella seeds and some seasoning.
Stir-fry for a couple of minutes to cook through. Squeeze over some lemon juice and serve with loads of crusty bread.
(Original recipe by Anjum Anand in BBC Good Food Magazine, April, 2014)
We bought a pasta machine when we were on honeymoon in Italy … quite a while ago now. We had a delicious lunch in a tiny Tuscan village, probably with a bit more wine than we needed, and bought a pasta machine from the window of a little shop that sold hardware, cookware and everything else. We have used it only a few times since then, but we took it out of the box this evening and made fresh pasta, and very satisfying it was too. So, if you’ve got a pasta machine we suggest you dust it off and give this a go. We haven’t given the recipe and instructions for making the tagliatelle – widely available online or in any Italian cookbook you might have on your shelves; though roughly 1 egg for 100g flour plus a little salt and olive oil.
Wine Suggestion: Tonight a bottle from our holidays last year in the Loire, the Charles Joguet Chinon Rosé. Delightfully dry, mid-weight and with light flavours of red fruits; a good match and a good memory of summer holidays in a tent in France.
Tagliatelle with prawns and a creamy brandy sauce (Tagliatelle con Gamberi e Brandy) – serves 4
30g salted butter
4 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
60g walnuts, chopped
300g uncooked prawns, peeled
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
60ml brandy
250ml double cream
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
400g fresh egg tagliatelle (look it up online, it’s easy)
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley
Melt the butter and oil in a large frying pan over a gentle heat. Add the shallots and walnuts and cook gently for 2 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium and add the prawns and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper. Cook for 30 seconds.
Add the brandy and cook for a minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate, then add the cream and balsamic vinegar and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a loads of very salty water until al dente – a minute or two. Drain and tip back into the pasta pan.
Pour in the creamy sauce, add the parsley, and toss gently for 30 seconds to combine.
(Original recipe from Gino’s Pasta by Gino D’Acampo, Kyle Books, 2010)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 