Inspired by the sea and the beautiful Mediterranean flavours, this Prawns and Fragrant Tomato Sauce recipe will soon become one of meals for lunch or as an appetizer. We enjoy this with a fresh, crispy crusted baguette to just dig into that deliciousness and wipe our plates clean. That’s how good it is you guys!
Growing up I wasn’t a seafood lover. Prawns were very expensive and really difficult to source. This changed completely during my 20’s, when I found myself in the Isle of Pantelleria in Italy, together with my Italian friends. We were staying at one of our friends house and the meals were the same for everyone. And so, the fresh, delicious, sweet prawns turned into our daily meals.
Since then, I have tested various recipes that would bring back those memories for me, and create beautiful new ones for my friends and family in the UK.
Sweet and soft prawns with a delicious tomato sauce, flavoured by the capers, anchovy fillets, garlic and chilli flakes.
In under 20 minutes you can really up your lunch meal or appetizer and transform it into a memorable experience. Just have a peak at the photos below!
COOKING WITH PRAWNS
It’s fairly easy and quick to cook prawns, however, if overcooked, they will become chewy and unpleasent to eat.
Fresh prawns will cook in about 5 minutes (3 minutes on one side and 2 on the other).
If you are working with frozen prawns and don’t have time to defrost in advance then you can cook straight into the pan, however the cooking time for those will be up to 8 – 10 minutes. You can really see how the prawns are changing their colour whilst they cook – from grey to a rosy pinkish colour.
HOW TO DEVINE PRAWNS
Just in case you are choosing fresh prawns for this recipe (or any other) I have outlined a few steps, to help you successfully devein and clean the prawns before cooking. Frozen prawns are already cleaned and can be used for cooking without any further preparation.
- Place the prawns in the sink in a colander.
- Hold the heads then twist and run them under cold tap water.
- Peel the prawns shells.
- Use a sharp pairing knife to make a small incision down the back of the prawn and so expose their digestive track (a grey/black vein).
- Use the tip of the knife to take off the vein and remove.
- Wash again if necessary then set aside.
THE TOMATO SAUCE IN ALL IT’S GLORY
It’s fragrant, sweet and tangy, with notes of garlic and chilli – it is a true delight!
Prawns with Fragrant Tomato Sauce
Inspired by the sea and the beautiful Mediterranean flavours, this Prawn and Fragrant Tomato Sauce recipe will bring a taste of summer and joy to your table.
Ingredients
- 2 - 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 anchovy fillets, chopped
- pinch of chilli flakes
- 1 tsp baby capers
- 12- 14 prawns
- 400 g canned chopped tomatoes
- 4 tbsp of olive oil
- 100 ml white wine
- 1/2 tsp oil from anchovy fillets
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- handful of parsley
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
1. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.
2. Finely chop the anchovy fillets.
2. Heat the olive oil and a little bit of the oil from the anchovy filets in a medium sized pan over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic, chopped anchovies, baby capers and chilli flakes. Cook for 1 - 2 min and stir consistently to avoid the garlic from burning.
3. Add the prawns and cook for 2 minutes on each side then add the white wine and wait for the alcohol to evaporate (1 - 2 min). Mix in the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. For the finishing touch add the butter and season.
4. Finely cut the parsley and scatter over to serve.
You must be logged in to post a comment.