Garlic Prawns

Γαρίδες Σκόρδου

Serves:
8 people
Prep time:
20 minutes
Cook time:
35 minutes

Jim’s garlic prawns are the hallmark of a special occasion in the Demetriou household. They say good things take time, and that’s certainly the case for this recipe, which Jim has slowly perfected over the years. A dish often reserved for birthdays, Easter or Christmas, this tomatoey, garlicky prawn goodness provides a twist to the more traditional white sauce recipe and can be enjoyed alone or on a bed of rice. The below recipe is for an entree-sized serving for eight people. If you want to cook it as a main, just double the ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 1kg Green prawns, King prawns or Tiger prawns
  • ½ tablespoon salt
  • 70g of butter
  • 3 cloves diced garlic
  • Passata 700g
  • ¾ tablespoon seasoned pepper, or cracked black pepper
  • Cream 375ml

Method

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  1. Peel the , keeping the heads with the shells and the flesh separate
  2. Fill a large pot up with water and add ½ tablespoon and heat on a high heat
  3. Place prawn heads and shells into boiling water and boil for 15-20 mins
  4. Strain the stock into a container and set aside—you will only use about 200ml of this. Discard the heads and shells
  5. Heat a large pan over a medium heat and melt , taking care not to burn or brown it
  6. Add to the butter and turn heat down to low, cooking until translucent
  7. Add passata and and stir until all is well combined
  8. Once the paste starts to bubble, add cream and seasoned pepper to the pan and stir to combine
  9. Turn heat up to high, bringing cream mixture to boil and stir continuously. It should be more than a simmer but not curdling
  10. Once boiling, add in about 200ml of the prawn head and shell stock and continue to stir until the sauce begins to thicken
  11. Add in the peeled prawns, ensuring the sauce covers about half of the height of the prawns. Do not stir - instead flip prawns when partially cooked and remove prawns from the pan when they're still translucent in centre. You don't want to overcook them and ruin their texture
  12. Once your sauce has reached its desired thickness, re-add in the prawns and toss to cover with sauce. Don’t forget to taste your sauce - if it needs any salt, just add a very small sprinkle
  13. Cook for a further minute and take off the heat to serve

From Yiayia's Fridge · page 93