GARLIC BUTTER PRAWNS
WITH PARSLEY
An easy recipe that would go real well with a steak on the side as well for an impressive meal. Prawns remind me a bit of the taste of lobster...so to me they are like little lobsters. You don’t need many each when you have another meat side with the meal, and even when you have them on their own as we did. I just needed a few with a big salad on the side with a substantial Thousand Island Dressing.
First of all, you want to thaw the prawns. I thaw them by placing in a colander over a bowl and letting cold water run over them from the tap, until they are thawed.
These prawns are large. I removed the tails as who wants to mess with those? Just eat and enjoy! I know some people leave them on to look fancy, but when I am cooking for Ian and me, we don't need "fancy." Some people cook the prawns with shells and tails in tact and then use their fingers to remove shells and tails - what a messy meal. No thanks! Besides the fact that you want to devein the prawns or you will be eating sand - that will just spoil the taste of the prawns. Here is an easy quick tutorial: How to peel prawns and remove veins from prawns
Once
the prawns have been prepared, this recipe is super quick to get onto
the table - about 5 minutes and it is ready to eat. Don't overcook the
prawns - they need about 4 minutes of stir fry in all. These butter
garlic prawns will delight; one of my favorite meals for sure!
Prawns are best eaten freshly cooked; however, I have often refrigerated leftovers for a couple of days in an airtight container.
If you like, instead of the lemon juice, you could add a splash of white wine for some sophistication added to this dish. However, for me, simple is good and this dish was absolutely delish as written. You can serve the prawns with lemon wedges if you have them; I didn't and used lemon juice from concentrate. You can do that in a pinch, too. It was still wonderful as one cannot go wrong with the buttery, garlicky flavors of this dish, and the lemon juice just brightens the sauce. Fresh lemon juice is always superior. Since I live far from the nearest grocery store most of the time, it is not always easy.
If
you prefer, you can use unsalted butter versus salted butter and just
add salt, to taste. This garlic butter sauce is so good and I think a
bit of salt is not a bad thing. Salt makes most things taste better and
that is why restaurants tend to use it so liberally compared to home
cooks. Cook the prawns over medium high heat.
In the past, we may have served this with pasta. I think it would be real good on a bed of cooked and seasoned spaghetti squash.
You could use jumbo shrimp instead of prawns, but I think prawns have a unique, lobster-like flavor that you don't want to miss. When it comes to seafood, I usually reach for prawns, as they are cheaper than scallops, for instance, and easier to prepare than calamari (octopus), and besides that I don't eat much else in the way of seafood, to be honest.
This recipe does not need any spices
as it has the salt and pepper, garlic and fresh chopped parsley leaves
that flavor the prawns real well. Make sure to cook the prawns until
they are opaque, but be very careful not to overcook them, as they can
quickly become rubbery in texture. You want to avoid that at all costs.
Prawns, like shrimp, cook very quickly indeed. You can serve them
with a sprinkle of ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, or lemon
zest. I cook them in a large pan or a large skillet.
I used minced garlic from a jar, but you can use cloves garlic, chopped very finely.
If you have a ton of prawns to cook, you can double the recipe. Then just make sure to cook the prawns in batches, as you don't want to overcrowd the frying pan. Prawns can also make a fancy appetizer. If you like, you can leave the tails on and butterfly the shrimp, and add some extra melted butter over them and a sprinkle of herbs. Always cook the prawns in a single layer. Basil is another herb that would work well here.
INGREDIENTS:
11/2 lbs prawns (0.68 kg)
1/4
tsp salt (1 mL)
1/4
tsp pepper (1 mL)
3 tbsp light-tasting olive oil (45 mL)
3 tbsp butter (45 mL)
1 tbsp minced garlic (15 mL)
1 tsp lemon juice (5 mL)
1/2
cup chopped fresh parsley (125 mL)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Remove shells and tails of prawns (see you tube link for easy
instructions).
Cut down the middle of the back of the prawns with a sharp,
serrated knife and remove the black vein with the tip of the knife. Rinse
prawns and place in colander over bowl to drain while getting them all
ready. Pat prawns dry with paper towels.
Sprinkle prawns with the salt and pepper and toss to coat.
In nonstick frying pan, over medium heat, in butter and olive oil,
cook garlic 1 minute. Add the prepared prawns and
let cook undisturbed for 1 minute. Turn prawns over. Add the
parsley. Cover pan and cook until prawns are done…about 3 more
minutes….stirring about once or twice during that time. Add lemon juice
to the sauce, stir and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve right
away.
Yield: 4 servings
1
serving
351.2
calories
34.7
g protein
21.8
g fat
0.1 g fiber
2.8
g net carbs
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