Australian chef and restaurateur, Bill Granger shows us an unusual way to prepare lobster tails or king prawns with preserved lemons.
Ready in: 35 minutes
Prep. time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 Large raw lobster tails or 18 very large king prawns
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- The juice from ½ a lemon
- 1 red chilli seeded and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons of chopped preserved lemons (flesh removed)
- 400g green beans, blanched and refreshed and halved
- Coriander leaves
- Flat leafed parsley
See also: Jean-Christian Jury’s Macaroni and Roasted Cauliflower Bowl
Method (lobster):
- Preheat the oven to 220° C (425° F – gas 7)
- Make the dressing by combining 4 tablespoons of the olive oil with the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons warm water, the chilli, preserved lemon and some sea salt, in a bowl and whisk thoroughly.
- Put the beans, coriander and parsley together in a bowl and add half the dressing. Toss gently and arrange on 6 serving dishes
- Cut the lobster tails in half lengthways, through the shell and season.
- Put a large frying pan over a high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and arrange the lobster tails cut-side down in the pan. Sear for 2 minutes.
- Put the lobster tails on the hot baking sheet, shell side down and roast for 10-15 minutes until the lobster flesh is opaque and just cooked.
- Top each salad with lobster or prawns and drizzle over the remaining dressing.
Method (prawns):
- Make the dressing by combining all of the olive oil (except 1 tablespoon) with the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons warm water, the chilli, preserved lemon and some sea salt, in a bowl and whisk thoroughly.
- Put the beans, coriander and parsley together in a bowl and add half the dressing. Toss gently and arrange on 6 serving dishes.
- Leaving the prawns whole and season. You can optionally run a cut along the back of the prawns so they butterfly a little.
- Put a large frying pan over a high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sear the prawns for 2 or 3 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
Top each salad with prawns and drizzle over the remaining dressing.
Variations:
Sauté a few cloves of crushed garlic in a little olive oil for a minute before searing the prawns. If you don’t have enough green beans, add half a can of mixed beans to bulk them out a little. Many of the ‘farmed’ prawns can be a little bland, so I like to marinade them in a few shakes of nam-pla (Thai sweet and sour fish dipping sauce) for 30 minutes before cooking to bring a little ‘fishyness’ back.
See also: Theodore Kyriakou’s Grilled Seabass With a Caper & Tomato Sauce
