Why You Should Focus On Improving Prawn Recipes

Prawns are a delicious and adaptable ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes. Our best-ever prawn collection includes everything from curries and salads to Middle Eastern cuisine. Prawns are a terrific element for a midweek dish because they take a few minutes to prepare. You can buy them raw or cooked, chilled or frozen. To ensure safe and consistent cooking, always defrost frozen prawns thoroughly. Most fish recipes call for shell-on or peeled shrimp, with peeled shrimp being the most frequently available and convenient.

How to prepare prawns
Prawns in oil: To fry, heat oil until it is blazing hot in a pan. Cook until peeled prawns are pink (if pre-cooked, a couple of minutes will be enough to heat through).

Boiling prawns: To boil raw peeled prawns (for example, before adding to a prawn cocktail), drop them into boiling water with salt and lemon juice, cook for 3-4 minutes until pink, then drain carefully.

Grilling prawns: In the summer, large raw shell-on prawns can be roasted on a griddle, hot grill, or BBQ. Toss in the oil and seasonings, then fry for approximately 3 minutes per side, or until they turn brilliant pink from silvery grey. When grilled prawns become pink, curl up, and feel firm when squeezed, they are done.

Fillets of perch in a creamy prawn sauce
A rich seafood sauce and a simple salad complement flaky white fish well.

INGREDIENTS
One tablespoon unsalted butter, diced
Four small sea perch fillets (about 350g total)
One sliced lemon
Two tsp extra virgin olive oil
One small red capsicum, finely chopped (seeds removed)
Two finely sliced spring onions
White wine, 1/4 cup (60ml)
Thin cream, 1/4 cup (60ml)
Six peeled green prawns (tails still attached), deveined
Two tablespoons lemon juice
Salad greens, dressed and ready to eat

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius—grease two 30cm lengths of foil lightly.Place two perch fillets on each piece of foil, skin side down—season with salt and pepper after smearing it with butter and lemon slices. Fold the foil in half to make two parcels and lay them on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the fish for 12 minutes, or until done.

In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes after adding the capsicum and spring onion. Allow 1 minute for the wine to boil, then add the cream and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the prawns are just cooked through. Season with salt and pepper after adding the lemon juice.

How to serve the prawns
To serve, use a fish slice to delicately separate the fish fillets from each packet and set them on serving plates. Put three prawns on top of each plate of fish, then drizzle with part of the sauce. Serve with salad leaves prepared on the side.

Spaghetti with prawns, tomato, chilli, and basil

This delicious midweek pasta meal takes only 20 minutes to prepare and is flavoured with all the beautiful things: white wine, butter, olive oil, and prawns.

Ingredients
One tbsp olive oil
One smashed garlic clove
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
150g young plum tomatoes
150ml white wine
200g spaghetti
A handful of basil leaves
225g raw peeled prawns
A large knob of butter

Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan, then add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 2-3 minutes on low heat. Cook, occasionally stirring, for 3-4 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften. Simmer for 5 minutes after adding the wine.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti until just soft in boiling salted water, then drain, saving a cup of the cooking water. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper, then stir in the basil and prawns. Cook until the prawns become pink. To loosen the sauce, stir in the butter and spaghetti with a splash of the cooking water, mix, and serve.