Alesha Dixon's spicy prawns recipe | Jamie Oliver recipes (2024)

FAQs

How does Gordon Ramsay cook prawns? ›

Use prawns with their heads left on, but their intestinal tracts removed. Bring a large pan of salted water to a steady boil, drop in the prawns, and simmer until they change colour (about 3-4 minutes) . Drain from the water and serve.

Choose your ingredients

Most importantly, I'm talking about the prawns, cherry tomatoes and olive oil as they are the main stars here. For this pasta dish I used linguine as they work perfectly with a light seafood sauce. The sauce lathers every piece of the pasta perfectly.

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add the oil or melted butter. Once the oil is hot, add the prawns or shrimp to the pan and season them with salt and pepper. Cook the prawns or shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until they turn pink and are cooked through.

High heat, large pan – to help cook the prawns perfectly and get a nice sear on them; Use tongs not a spatula – turn each prawn individually, don't stir them; Butter + oil – butter provides flavour, but butter burns at high heat. To counteract this, we use a combo of butter + oil here.

Prawns and shrimp are similar in texture and taste, so it's difficult to distinguish between them. However, some may say that prawns are meatier and sweeter when compared to shrimp. There are many ways to cook prawns and shrimp. They can be fried, grilled, sauteed, steamed, or broiled.

Place frozen prawns in the fridge overnight to safely defrost them. If you're in a hurry, place them in a bowl of cold salt water for about 20 minutes until thawed. Once the prawns are defrosted, grill or sauté them for up to 5 minutes, or boil them in salt water for 3-6 minutes.

Alkaline baking soda slightly alters the pH of the shrimp, making them as plump and succulent as lobster and resistant to overcooking. The brine also causes the meat to pull away from the shells while cooking, so you get all the great flavor of shell-on shrimp without the hassle.

What is the blue-green substance along the back of some raw prawns (where the digestive tract runs)? This is roe, the same roe that appears orange in cooked prawns. The darker in colour the prawn, the darker the roe - tiger prawns have a dark grey/green roe, whereas king prawns have a lighter grey/ brown roe.

If marinating shrimp, do it for only 30 minutes or less. Herbs and blends that go well with shrimp are: basil, bay leaf, cayenne pepper, chili powder, chives, cilantro, curry powder, dill, garlic, lemon balm, marjoram, mint, oregano, paprika, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme.

Are prawns good for you? ›

Considered one of the healthiest foods in the world, prawns are an excellent source of complete protein, meaning it includes all nine amino acids necessary for the body to maintain health and function. Way lower in calories than chicken or beef, prawns deliver the same amount of protein as red meat or poultry.

Prawns normally cook within a matter of minutes. In general, medium-sized prawns take 3-4 minutes to cook, large prawns 5-8 minutes and jumbo prawns take around 7-8 minutes. The prawns are cooked when their flesh has turned pink and opaque throughout.

Prawns will turn a pink colour when they are cooked. Use these times as a guide: Small to medium sized prawns: 3-4 minutes. Large prawns: 5 - 8 minutes.