Chilli & Green Peppercorn Buttered Prawns

Cooking is a big part of my life. I love to find new ways to cook to freshen up the same ingredients and seeing as I share a lot of my life on this blog it only seems right to also share some of my cooking escapades. I hope you enjoy them.

For us, no Christmas is the same without seafood of some kind. As we were having a casual Christmas dinner beside the pool, it just made sense to be a little less formal and to let our guests help themselves from a platter of seafood. In the end it made the meal even more simple and fun and we ended up with a tapas style meal which our guests loved.

I thought I would share the recipe that I found in December issue of Donna Hay magazine and adapted slightly to use on Christmas Day. I hope you get a chance to try it this summer and enjoy it as much as we did. Perhaps even this weekend

CHILLI AND GREEN PEPPERCORN BUTTERED PRAWNS
Serves 6-8 as an entree or 10-12 as tapas style dining

1.5kg large whole green prawns
1 lemon, halved

Chilli and green peppercorn butter
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 tablespoon green peppercorns
2 long green chillis, finely chopped (or red chillis are fine too)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
200g butter, softened

To make the chilli and green peppercorn butter, place the fennel seeds and salt in a mortar and pestle bowl and grind until smooth. Add the peppercorns, chilli, garlic and butter and mix until combined. Divide between two bowls (one for serving and one for cooking).

Thread the prawns onto skewers. Preheat a chargrill pan or barbeque over high heat. Add the skewers and cook for 3-4 minutes each side, brushing with one portion of the butter made earlier. Keep cooking, brushing and turning until prawns are cooked through.

While the prawns are cooking, place the two cut lemons flesh side down on the grill to cook and caramelize.

Remove prawns from skewers and serve on a platter with lemon halves and remaining butter.

Bon appetite! Have a great weekend!