Grilled Provençal Prawns with Ratatouille

Name: Grilled Provençal Prawns with Ratatouille
Yield: 2
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 6 large green prawns; 1 sprig rosemary, leaves picked (about 2 teaspoons chopped); 4 sprigs thyme, leaves picked (about 1 teaspoon); 1 lemon, zest grated (about 1 teaspoon); 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; Ratatouille, for serving (optional); Crusty bread, for serving

The biggest mistake home cooks make when preparing seafood is overcooking it. This is especially true with prawns which are tender, sweet and delicious when cooked properly, but too often end up rubbery and tasteless instead. My top tip for superb prawns is to butterfly them without peeling and cook them only on the shell side, allowing the heat to radiate up into the delicate flesh (see video below). It only takes a few minutes and they can be topped with any flavouring you like, such as this herb and lemon marinade. Don’t worry if they’re still slightly translucent when you take them out of the pan, they keep cooking in the residual heat and will be perfect by the time you eat them. Try a glass of aged Aussie chardonnay with these grilled Provençal prawns with ratatouille, something elegant like a Penfolds Trial Bin. Prawns oxidise quickly once they’re caught or harvested so are best stored either frozen or refrigerated in a tub of cold water (details on storing prawns here).

Serves 2

Ingredients

6 large green prawns
1 sprig rosemary, leaves picked (about
2 teaspoons chopped)
4 sprigs thyme, leaves picked (about 1 teaspoon)
1 lemon, zest grated (about 1 teaspoon)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Crusty bread, for serving
Ratatouille, for serving (optional)

Method

Cut off and discard the prawn heads, place prawns on a chopping board on their backs and split down the underside almost all the way through without cutting through the shell.
Remove the digestive tracts.
Turn them over and press firmly along the shell to flatten them out.
Cover and set aside for about 30 minutes so they come to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Chop thyme, rosemary and lemon zest finely together.
Combine with garlic, salt, pepper, oil and a generous squeeze of lemon juice.
Preheat a char-grill pan or heavy-based frying pan over medium–high heat.
Meanwhile, place bread into the oven to warm through.
Arrange prawns in the pan, shell side down, in a single layer.
Smear oil mixture over each one.
Cook for 3–5 minutes, depending on size, until flesh is just opaque.
Transfer to a platter and serve with Ratatouille and bread.