C – Now, these are prawns!
Not to confuse you with shrimp, of course. A few weeks ago, Jim and I got into a wild debate on what is the difference between a “prawn” and a “shrimp.” Size, of course. Luke had another way of looking at it. If they are big enough so you can cut into one, butterfly it and cook it on the grill … it might be a prawn.
Our prawns qualified. These suckers were over eight inches long.
We finally have spotted prawns in the markets! Luke was so happy that we went to the Asian market on the right day. They had a lot better fish selection than the last time we were there. He was reluctant to get these spotted prawns, since they would exceed my budget.
I was in a good mood and, since spotted prawns only have a two-week window to buy, we needed to get them now. I didn’t mind. I was a bit curious about all his commotion over these things. They are more expensive than normal prawns. They are also rare and a delicacy. The next time we go to the Asian market, they might not be available. I guess I had a “you only live once” moment with these.
I can see why Luke likes them so much. They were amazing. They were delicious. They are a lot more expensive than regular prawns. They are also alive when you buy them. That means they are super fresh when you cook and eat them. I would pay a lot for that. Surprising for a really big cheapskate like me (or frugal depending on Jim’s mood).
Luke made a tarragon butter sauce for them. I really liked the taste. I was a bit surprised. I usually hate butter sauce as part of a seafood dish. But, Luke’s recipe was a great one. The butter and tarragon combination had a rich, creamy coconut quality to it. I was really surprised. The spotted prawns were really meaty. They almost reminded me of a really tender lobster. They were especially good right off the grill.
| Grilled Butterflied Spotted Prawns with Tarragon Butter Sauce |
- 11 spotted prawns, live
- 11 skewers, 6 inches long
- 1 stick butter, room temperature
- ½ shallot, minced
- 2 sprigs tarragon, leaves only, chiffionade
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ cup water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- In a small sauce pan, bring ½ cup of water to a simmer.
- Add shallot and simmer until water is reduced to ¼.
- Whisk in butter slowly, one tablespoon at a time. Make sure that the butter emulsified. Turn heat to low.
- Add garlic and tarragon to butter. Mix well.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Leave on very low heat until you are ready to use. Do Not boil the sauce or it will break.
- Prawns should still be alive.
- Butterfly prawns by cutting them in half lengthwise, but without cutting completely through the back. Leave head and legs attached to prawns.
- Place prawn on skewers along the back center, piercing two times.
- Repeat with the rest of the prawns.
- On a hot grill, place prawns over hot coals with meat side up. Cover with lid partially open.
- Open lid once meat starts to turn pink. About a minute.
- Using a brush, spread butter sauce over meat.
- Cook until shells are bright red. About 2 minutes.
- Flip prawns over and grill for 30 seconds.
- Flip prawns back and add more butter sauce if desired.
- Serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
There is no wonder Luke likes these things so much. They were great.
Thanks, Luke, for this great recipe. They were so delicious.