Showing posts with label seafood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seafood. Show all posts
My Todd really loves King Prawns. I don't cook them for him often enough. I confess, I can't eat them due to an allergy, but every once in a while I do cook some for him and he thoroughly enjoys them I have to say.
We get beautiful King Prawns from the people at Seafresh Quality Foods. Seafresh is an on line fish monger which sells quality fish, seafood,
poultry and meat. I have always been incredibly impressed with both
their product and their delivery service! I have never had a bad experience. You can read about my first experience here!
Today I gave them somewhat of a Spanish flair with a recipe I adapted from the Delicious magazine website. It was meant to be used as a romantic starter for two people for a celebratory dinner.
Todd enjoyed them as a main with some brown rice. I didn't cook the sauce down as much as the original recipe called for so I would have plenty of sauce to spoon over his rice.
The smokiness comes from the use of smoked paprika, or Pimentón which is its proper name. It is a really fabulous ingredient with a lovely smoky flavour and is most often used in Spanish Cooking. It is what helps to give Spanish Chorizo its fabulous colour and flavour.
What are the origins of Spanish Paprika or Pimentón?
Paprika is made from ground, dried red chile peppers originally from the Americas. So important is paprika to Spanish cooking and so demanding are the Spanish of quality paprikas that there are Denominations of Origin (D.O.) for paprika. One of the D.O. is located in Murcia, a province on the Southeastern coast of Spain, between Almeria and Alicante. (Ariana is from Alicante.) The other and more famous is La Vera, which is located in Cáceres, Extremadura, southwest of Madrid. Both of these areas are warm and dry in the summer, which makes them perfect for growing peppers.
It is widely believed that Christopher Columbus brought it back to Spain from the Americas. There are three varieties of Pimentón.
- Pimentón Dulce or Sweet Paprika: Round red peppers make this mild, light orange paprika.
- Pimentón Agridulce or Medium Hot Paprika: Longer, dark red pepper make a medium-hot paprika.
- Pimentón Picante or Hot Paprika: Made from any of several different types of long red peppers.
The one I used today is Pimenton De La Vera. Calidad: Picante, which means it is fairly hot. Todd likes spicy things. Myself, not so much, which is just as well because I was making these for Todd.
I can see where the dish would make for a romantic starter for two, with its bright colour and bold flavour . . . the squeezing of the lemon wedges over top . . . crusty bread to mop up all the juices.
There are two cloves of garlic in it so you do want to be sharing it with your partner if you are doing this as a romantic dinner so that you both smell like garlic, lol.
The sauce itself, takes about half an hour to make, but once the sauce is done, it goes rather quickly.
The prawns cook in 3 to 4 minutes. Any longer and you risk them turning rubbery. For a romantic meal you can make the sauce ahead of time and then just reheat and add the raw prawns a few minutes before you want to serve them.
As well as garlic, there is onion and a quantity of chopped fresh coriander, very Spanish I would say. Cilantro is another name for Coriander. If you are not fond of it, and I know many are not . . . you could use fresh flat leaf parsley.
Smoky Tomato & Garlic Prawns
Yield: 2
This was touted as a great starter for a romantic dinner on the Delicious site. Todd enjoyed it as a delicious main with some brown rice on the side. This was very quick and easy to make.
ingredients:
- 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle
- 1 medium brown onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika (pimenton)
- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes, in tomato juice, undrained (14 1/2 ounces)
- splash of balsamic vinegar
- pinch of sugar
- 125g raw king prawns (1/4 pound)
- handful of fresh coriander, washed and chopped (cilantro)
- salt and black pepper to taste
- lemon wedges to serve
- sliced green chilies to serve (If you like things hot)
instructions:
How to cook Smoky Tomato & Garlic Prawns
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook gently over low heat, for about 10 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add the garlic and smoked paprika. Cook and stir for a further 3 to 4 minutes until very fragrant. Add the tomatoes, vinegar and pinch of sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer and then cook over low heat, stirring often, until the tomatoes have reduced and the sauce is rich and thick. Taste and season with salt and pepper as required. Stir in the raw prawns. Stir around in the sauce to coat and cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes, just until pink. Stir in the chopped coriander along with a drizzle of olive oil. Scatter with the sliced chilies (if using) and serve with wedges of lemon to squeeze over top. Crusty bread goes well to mop up all of that delicious sauce.
What I really love about their King Prawns from Seafresh is that they are responsibly sourced and quick frozen individually. I can take out as
many or as little as I want, which makes them very handy to use and
ideal for us as we are a small family. Also because only Todd eats
them, I can take out just enough for him to enjoy without having to thaw
out the whole pack. They are also shelled and
de-veined at the source, so, once defrosted, you can just cook them
without any messing
about.
Another thing that I love about these is that Todd really feels special when I cook something like this just for him. That makes me happy!
A few things about Seafresh:
- Same Day dispatch on orders received before 1 PM.
- All packages are carefully hand packed.
- Free delivery on orders above £50, £8 on orders below that amount.
- Responsibly and sustainably sourced.
- Air Blast Frozen at source within 4 hours of being caught.
- Wide variety to choose from.
Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Note - Although I was gifted with product free of charge for the purposes of review, I was not required to write a positive review in exchange, nor would my integrity allow me to recommend anything if I did not truly like it. Any and all my opinions are my own entirely.
My Todd just adores King Prawns. Its not something he gets to eat very often as I am allergic to them, but when I do cook them for him, he feels really, really special!
A few months back we had received a beautiful box of fish from Seafresh Quality Foods.
Seafresh is an on line fish monger, which sells quality fish, seafood,
poultry and meat. I was incredibly impressed with both
their product and their delivery service! There was absolutely nothing
that I could fault with any of it. Feel free to read about my experience here.
Included in the box was a bag of beautiful large uncooked King Prawns. Their prawns are individually quick frozen so that you can take out as
many or as little as you want, which makes them very handy to use and
ideal for whatever size family you have. They are also shelled and
de-veined at the source, so you can just cook them without any messing
about.
I remember when I worked at the Manor, they loved their prawns and would eat masses of them. I would have to shell and clean them. It was fiddly and time consuming.
Another thing Todd really enjoys is a good curry. I don't cook them near often enough either. I really should cook them more often. He likes them really spicy. I prefer them on the mild side.
I had been saving some of the King Prawns to cook him a special meal on his birthday. Something he would really enjoy and all just for him. Curry Coconut King Prawns.
I adapted the recipe from a book my ex boss gave me when I was working for her entitled, Fresh Every Day, More Great Recipes From Foster's Market, by Sara Foster. I love this book. It is full of lovely, do-able recipes. I used to use it a lot when I worked at the Manor as my boss liked this kind of food, and I have referred to it many times since. Its just a good good cook book.
I decided to use the recipe in the book for the Curry Coconut King Prawns because I knew I would be unable to taste the finished dish myself, and I trust Sara Foster's recipes and culinary intuition as far as what tastes good.
It was a simple recipe. You need only to soften some onion until translucent and then begin cooking the prawns. You do this in batches, cooking them first on one side and then on the other.
You need only cook them until they are pink on each side. DON'T over cook them! Overcooked prawns have a rubbery texture that is not very nice.
Once you have cooked them, you scoop them out and hold them, covered lightly with some foil in a bowl while you make the sauce. The sauce is also very simple. Just coconut milk, stock, dry sherry, curry powder and garlic.
This gets reduced and then you stir the prawns, onions and their juices back into the sauce and heat through briefly along with a handful of chopped fresh coriander, and you're done! A garnish of fresh minced spring onions and Bob's your Uncle. You have a delicious curry all ready for the people you love to enjoy along with some rice or whatever it is they enjoy with curries! Easy peasy and according to Todd, most delicious!
Yield: 4 - 6
Curry Coconut King Prawns
The perfect supper for when the nights are beginning to draw in and you begin to crave richer foods. Quick, easy and delicious.
ingredients:
- 3 TBS olive oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and minced
- 1 1/2 pounds king prawns, peeled and deveined
- salt and pepper
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, julienned (about 2 TBS)
- 120ml dry sherry (1/2 cup)
- 240ml unsweetened coconut milk (1 cup)
- 240ml chicken or fish stock (1 cup)
- a handful of chopped fresh coriander leaf (cilantro)
- 2 spring onions, trimmed and minced
instructions:
How to cook Curry Coconut King Prawns
- Heat half of the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium high heat until soft and translucent without browning. Add half of the prawns, season with salt and pepper. Saute for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side until pink. Remove the prawns from the pan, reserving the onion and pan juices. Place on a serving platter and loosely tent with foil and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining prawns and oil.
- Stir the curry powder, garlic and ginger into the pan you cooked the shrimp in. Saute for a minute. Add the sherry and cook for a minute longer, scraping up any brown bits. Add the coconut milk and broth. Bring to the boil. Reduce the temperature to a low boil and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the sauce thickens and reduces by two thirds. Return the prawns to the pan and cook for a further minute to heat through and coat the prawns with the sauce. Remove from the heat, scatter with the coriander and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Garnish with the minced spring onions and serve.
Todd felt really spoilt when I served this up to him. He was licking his chops big-time!
A few things about Seafresh:
- Same Day dispatch on orders received before 1 PM.
- All packages are carefully hand packed.
- Free delivery on orders above £50, £8 on orders below that amount.
- Responsibly and sustainably sourced.
- Air Blast Frozen at source within 4 hours of being caught.
- Wide variety to choose from.
Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Note - Although I was gifted with product free of charge for the purposes of review, I was not required to write a positive review in exchange, nor would my integrity allow me to recommend anything if I did not truly like it. Any and all my opinions are my own entirely.
Up Tomorrow: Cheddar & Corn Chowder
Last month we received a beautiful box of fish from Seafresh Quality Foods.
Seafresh is an on line fish monger, which sells quality fish, seafood,
poultry and meat.
I was incredibly impressed with both
their product and their delivery service! There was absolutely nothing
that I could fault with any of it. Feel free to read about my experience here.
Included in the box was a package of beautiful looking raw King Prawns. Their prawns are individually quick frozen so that you can take out as many or as little as you want, which makes them very handy to use and ideal for whatever size family you have.
They are also shelled and de-veined at the source, so you can just cook them without any messing about. BONUS!
One of my first jobs as a young woman was as the Pastry Chef in a big hotel back home. It had a four star restaurant attached to it.
The Old Orchard Inn was a prime destination for tourists and locals alike back in the day. It was a great place to work and to cut my chef's teeth in. I was responsible for the preparation of all of the Appetisers and desserts. I loved it! It was my dream job, and I learnt a lot!
Shrimp Cocktail was one of the most popular appetisers, along with Escargot. If I had a dollar for every one of those dishes I prepared, not to mention Black Forest Cakes, I would be able to retire as a very rich woman!
This classic appetiser was the epitome of fine dining back in the day! This Shrimp Cocktail Recipe is really a very simple dish to make as well!
Over here big shrimps are called King Prawns. But they are the same thing. Lovely and large and beautifully pink when cooked. They don't really quite a long cook time.
They are done in literally a few minutes. You just drop the thawed prawns into a large pot of salted water which has been infused with some lemon, and let them sit until they are pink and curled. That's it. Take out rinse off and chill.
Look at how beautifully they hook along the edges of the dishes . . . at the Manor they had dedicated Shrimp Cocktail Recipe glasses that had little bases you could fill with crushed ice to really keep them chilled.
I am not a millionaire so I don't have anything like that. Just sherbet dishes which do a rather dab job of presentation if I don't say so myself.
The cocktail sauce for this dish is also very simple to make.
Like in my hotel days, it is a blend of a few ingredients, that magically turn into something which is incredibly delicious when put together . . . tomato ketchup (use a good one), creamed horseradish (again use a good one), fresh lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper . . .
Simple. Traditional. Special. Delicious. Quick and easy to put together. What more could a person want when entertaining. Just watch the eyes light up when you present this to your guests!
Yield: 6
Classic Shrimp Cocktail
This classic recipe takes you right back to the 1960's when Shrimp Cocktails was considered the epitome of good taste served as a first course at dinner parties. In all truth it never goes out of style. This is always a hit!
ingredients:
For the Shrimps:
- a large pot filled with cold water
- 1 fresh lemon, cut into quarters
- 1 TBS fine sea salt
- 2 pounds King Prawns (large shrimps), thawed if frozen
For the Cocktail Sauce:
- 245g tomato ketchup (1 cup)
- 1 - 2 TBS prepared horseradish (depending on how spicy you want it)
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp Tabasco sauce
- fine sea salt and black pepper to taste
To serve:
- shredded lettuce
- lemon wedges
instructions:
How to cook Classic Shrimp Cocktail
- Put the lemon into the pot of water. Bring to the boil. Add the salt. Stir to dissolve. Add the prawns/shrimps. Turn off the heat. Let sit until the shrimp curl and turn pink. Drain well and rinse in cold water. Refrigerate until ready to eat.
- To make the cocktail sauce, stir all of the ingredients together to blend well. Taste to make sure you have enough salt and pepper added.
- To serve you will need six footed glass dishes, along with 6 smaller glass containers to sit in the middle of them to hold the cocktail sauce. Fill the smaller glass containers with the sauce. Place in the centres of the footed glass dishes. Surround the edges with shredded lettuce to fill. Divide up the prawns, and hook them around the edges of the dishes. Place the footed dishes onto small serving plates along with a wedge or two of lemon and serve immediately.
Sorry, I couldn't resist. The 60's and Tom Jones go together like peas and carrots! Let me tell you Todd was thrilled beyond measure with this.
A few things about Seafresh:
- Same Day dispatch on orders received before 1 PM.
- All packages are carefully hand packed.
- Free delivery on orders above £50, £8 on orders below that amount.
- Responsibly and sustainably sourced.
- Air Blast Frozen at source within 4 hours of being caught.
- Wide variety to choose from.
Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Note - Although I was gifted with product free of charge for the purposes of review, I was not required to write a positive review in exchange, nor would my integrity allow me to recommend anything if I did not truly like it. Any and all my opinions are my own entirely.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
I had bought my husband some prawns to cook him for Valentines day, however I totally forgot to cook them for him. (Good thing they were frozen, or they would be pretty manky by now!) Anyways, I finally got around to cooking them for him and made him a tasty curry with them. I can't eat prawns, as I am allergic, but he loves them, so this was a real treat for him as I only ever very rarely have them on his menu, preferring instead to cook things we can both eat.
February 13th is Italian Food Day and you don't have to be an Italian Mama or in a fancy Italian Restaurant in order to experience some delicious Italian flavours!
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