Prawns, prawns, prawns! How do we love thee, let us count the ways. There’s nothing more tasty and rewarding to make than succulent fresh prawns. They allow you to capture a taste of the sea and turn a simple meal into a masterpiece in just a few minutes.
By combining its fleshy sweetness with the acidity of lemon and the spice of chorizo, this meal is a vibrant, tangy combination that you can turn to as a weekday regular after work or as a platter to delight friends with on weekends.
Chorizo And Lemon Prawns
There’s nothing more tasty and rewarding to make than succulent fresh prawns. They allow you to capture a taste of the sea and turn a simple meal into a masterpiece in just a few minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 kg large prawns cleaned and shelled
- 150 g chorizo sliced or diced
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 small red chilli chopped with seeds removed (or 1 teaspoon chilli flakes)
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat
- Add the chorizo and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until crispy
- Remove from the pan and set aside
- Discard most of the oil left in the pan
- Add the vegetable oil and reduce the heat to medium-low
- Cook the garlic until just beginning to colour (do not cook longer as it will become bitter)
- Increase the heat to high and add the prawns and chilli
- Toss for a minute or two then add the lemon juice and chorizo
- Toss for another few minutes or until the prawns are pink and opaque
- Sprinkle with parsley and lemon zest
- Serve with lemon quarters and crusty bread for a starter or with pasta or couscous for a main
Notes
If you’re using fresh prawns, always make sure that you clean them properly. If you’re a bit squeamish – or just for sheer convenience – you could buy them cleaned and shelled. Fresh prawns should smell like a hint of the sea – never fishy.
Frozen prawns can be every bit as tasty as fresh prawns and, in some instances, they can even be fresher. The larger fishing vessels catch and freeze them right away onboard.