Butterfly Garlic Prawns with Potatoes
These butterfly prawns filled with garlic-parsley butter are a beautiful alternative to the Spanish classic “gambas al ajillo” which is garlic shrimp served sizzling hot in a clay pot.
In this recipe the garlic butter is prepared within a few easy steps, the sliced prawns filled with it and then the prawns are baked in the oven or grilled on the bbq for only 8 minutes. The shell stays on so the prawn doesn’t completely curl up. This dish also works beautifully as a starter at a dinner party or bbq.
Ingredients
Serves 2 as a main
Preparation time: 40 minutes
500 g prawns (not peeled)
350 g baby potatoes (equals roughly 8 of them)
50 g butter (room temperature)
4 garlic cloves
big handful parsley (and optionally some more for garnish)
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
4 tbsp sunflower oil
1 lemon
Method
Preheat oven to 200 °C.
Finely slice 350 g baby potatoes with a sharp knife or mandolin. Set aside.
Twist the prawns’ heads off and use sizzlers to cut off the legs. With a sharp knife, slice down the prawns’ front and remove the intestinal sac by washing it out. Cut all the way through the flesh as that will make it easier to fill them later.
To prepare the garlic butter: Peel and mince 4 garlic cloves, finely chop a large handful of parsley. You can use a mortar to combine garlic, parsley, 1/2 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper. Then add 50 g butter at room temperature and combine well until an even paste comes together.
Start frying the potatoes as they need about 15 minutes: Heat 4 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan and add the potatoes. Fry on medium heat until they are fully cooked and golden-crispy on the outside.
Whilst the potatoes are cooking: Place a sheet of baking paper on an oven shelf. Fill each prawn with garlic butter and push them into the grooves of the shelf so all the garlic butter stays in the prawn when it melts.
Bake for about 8 minutes on middle oven rack. The baking time varies slightly depending on the size of the prawns but they are done when they turn orange and the butter is fully melted.
Serve the prawns on a bed of potatoes with lemon slices and more parsley to taste.
Enjoy!
