Moroccan-style spiced prawns

So here’s what I did with the prawns. It’s a variation on a recipe from a wonderful book called Cooking Moroccan, by Tess Mallos. The book is an exotic tour through culinary Morocco, beautifully illustrated with enticing photos and peppered throughout with fascinating facts and tips about north African cuisine.

So anyway, this recipe is a variation on Mallos’ prawns chermoula dish. It’s a variation purely because I was missing a pretty vital ingredient, namely the preserved lemon.

I should really learn to plan ahead. But hey, I like to improvise and trust me, the final result was moreish in the extreme. Plus it’s a perfect excuse to buy some more prawns and try it again.

Here goes.

Moroccan-style spiced prawns

500g of fresh prawns, shelled

Three cloves of garlic, minced

Three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Half tablespoon of powdered cumin

Half tablespoon of paprika

Half tablespoon of saffron

Half tablespoon of cayenne pepper

Half a tablespoon of dry ginger

Tablespoon of fresh parsley, finely minced

Tablespoon of fresh coriander, finely minced

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt

Heat the oil in a pan and add the garlic. Fry for one minute on a low to medium heat. Add the powdered spices and continue to fry on a medium heat for another minute or so. Add the prawns and toss until they are well coated. Add a touch of salt to taste and two or three teaspoons of water. Cook until the flesh of the prawns begins to go pink BUT don’t overdo it. There’s nothing worse than dry prawns. If in doubt, err on the side of less cooking because the residual heat will finish them off on the plate.

Place on a plate, sprinkle with some fresh coriander and serve immediately.