Barbecue Secrets
Recipes of the week: Grilled Prawns Three Ways
Rum and Honey Prawn Skewers Makes 8 kebabs, enough for 2 lunch-sized portions or 8 hors d’oeuvres The combination of rum, honey, and fresh mint is a revelation in this simple, delicious dish. For the basting sauce: 2 Tbsp | 25 mL chopped fresh mint 1½ tsp | 7 mL lime juice 1 jigger Appleton Estate dark rum 1/3 cup | 75 mL liquid honey 1 tsp | 5 mL Dijon mustard 2 tsp | 10 mL vegetable oil kosher salt to taste For the prawns: eight 7-inch | 18 cm bamboo skewers, soaked for at least 1 hour 16 extra large prawns, peeled and deveined (with tails on) kosher salt lime wedges and chopped mint for garnish Whisk together the basting sauce ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle about 1⁄3 of the sauce over the prawns, tossing them to coat them. Set aside the rest of the sauce. Assemble 8 skewers with 2 prawns on each. Prepare the grill for medium direct heat. Place the kebabs on the cooking grate. Cover the grill and cook them for 3–5 minutes, turning and basting the kebabs regularly, until the prawns are firm to the touch. Season them with a sprinkle of salt and serve them with some of the remaining basting sauce drizzled over them. Garnish them with lime wedges and a sprinkle of chopped mint. Super-easy Grilled Jumbo Prawns with Curry Paste My pal Kosta the fishmonger shared this great, simple way to grill jumbo prawns. Butterfly them (split them in half lengthwise, which makes it easy to remove the vein) and coat them with a mixture of your favorite curry paste cut with a little neutral flavored oil (about 3 Tbsp | 45 mL curry paste mixed with 1 Tbsp |15 mL oil will coat a dozen prawns). Grill the prawns over high heat for about a minute or two per side, and finish them by tossing them in a pan with some melted butter. Serve them with lemon wedges for an outstanding appetizer. Skewered Prawns Pistou Makes 4 main course servings or 12 appetizer-sized servings Pistou is the French equivalent of the Italian pesto sauce. In this version I’ve added toasted nuts, anchovies, and lemon zest for an extra kick. The pistou is great with prawns, and these jumbo skewers create a spectacular impression. This sauce also works well as a coating for roast lamb. For the pistou: 1/4 cup | 50 mL lightly toasted pecans (almonds or pine nuts are also excellent) 2 cups | 500 mL loosely packed fresh basil leaves 1 cup | 250 mL loosely packed flat-leaf Italian parsley 12 anchovy fillets, rinsed 2 cloves garlic, peeled 1/3 cup | 75 mL extra virgin olive oil zest of 1 lemon, finely grated or chopped For the prawns: twelve 6-inch | 15 cm bamboo skewers, soaked for at least 1 hour 12 jumbo prawns, in their shells kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 12 cherry or grape tomatoes lemon wedges for garnish Combine the pecans, basil, parsley, anchovies, and garlic in a food processor and process them until they’re smooth. Add the oil slowly in a thin stream while the processor is running. Transfer the pistou to a bowl, add the zest, and stir the pistou thoroughly. Transfer about 1⁄2 cup | 125 mL of the pistou to a serving bowl and reserve it for dipping. Season the prawns with salt and pepper. Toss them with the remaining pistou and refrigerate them for 20 minutes or up to 1 hour. When you’re ready to cook them, thread one prawn onto each skewer, with a cherry tomato threaded between the tail and the head. Prepare the grill for medium direct heat. Place the prawns on the cooking grate, cover the grill, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes per side, or until just cooked through. Serve them with the extra pistou for dipping and garnish them with lemon wedges.