the pepper cook

This Italian style garlicky, buttery prawns cooked in a cherry tomato sauce are a family favourite that helped us survive the lockdown! Quick and easy, they have a sauce that needs to be mopped up with some crusty fresh bread.  Leftovers from this recipe make a great breakfast – prawns on toast topped with a fried egg!

Ingredients:

• 40 large prawns, cleaned and deveined (400g)
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon crushed red chilies
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground click here to buy
• A few strands of saffron
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 whole dried red chilies broken in half
• 8-10 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 4 tablespoons)
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (about 150g)
• 4 tablespoons parsley, roughly chopped – divided
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves Click here to buy dry oregano
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons olive oil Click here to buy

Instructions:

1. Marinate prawns with salt, crushed chilies, and black pepper while prepping other ingredients.
2. Add saffron strands in 3 tablespoons of water and keep it aside.
3. Heat olive oil and butter in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the whole red chilies, followed by garlic and onions and sauté for 2 minutes until onions are translucent but not brown.
4. Now add marinated prawns and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly until prawns change color and are fully cooked.
5. Add cherry tomatoes, 3 tablespoons parsley, oregano, and saffron water cook for another 2 minutes.
6. Sprinkle remaining parsley to garnish and serve immediately with crusty bread.

Critical Ingredients:

What makes these prawns yummy is the butter and garlic. If anything, skip the olive oil but don’t skip the butter! If you skip the onion or substitute shallots or the whites of scallions, no one will know.  I like using both whole chilies and crushed, but if you’re okay with just one of the two that’s fine too. In a pinch, I’ll just use red chili powder. Parsley AND oregano, overkill? Not really – I just like lots of flavours and textures and prawns pick them up so well (very typically Indian.)  Just parsley is fine too, even if curly.  If you have dried oregano just throw in half a teaspoon near the end.