Grilled Spot Prawns with Lime and Basil
Spot these prawns!
Kirk isn’t kidding when he calls them pygmie lobsters, these fellas are big, way bigger even than the coonstripe shrimp! Approaching them like a lobster isn’t a bad idea.
Preparation:
Some people swear you have to shell and devein them, and others think they’re more delicious cooked in their shell. There are so many ways to cook them – grill, boil, stir fry, roast, you can’t go wrong as long as you don’t over-cook them.
If you want to shell them, simply twist off the head, then gently shimmy the shell off of the upper tail and hold and pull the bottom of the shell right off. When you have the big prawn in your hands, with a sharp knife slice down the back (but not all the way through) until you see the little dark vein and pull it out. Easy. You can save the heads for stock if you’re feeling ambitious, or you can save your energy for opening a bottle of wine.
Grilled Spot Prawns with Lime and Basil
Ingredients
Whole spot prawns (as is)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 bunch basil leaves, torn into small bits
2 limes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, as you like it
Method
Preheat covered grill or (hi, apartment dwellers!) pan to medium-high. Slice down the back of the prawn with a sharp knife or kitchen shears and remove the vein. Season prawns liberally with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill or sauté the prawns about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Toss those bad boys on a plate.
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, and basil in a bowl. Zest a bit of the lime, cut them in half and juice them into the bowl. Add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper as you like it, and pour the dressing over the prawns.
YUM.