In Good Taste: Molluscs and crustaceans
Prawn cocktail revisited
Remember the ol’ prawn cocktail? We’ve all had one. Some were good and some were….not so good. How many prawns were you getting for your money (they were never cheap) or was the glass just bulked up with chantilly lettuce with just a few small babies on the top? Were they succulent, or dry, and did they TASTE of prawn?
Well, a good prawn cocktail is still good and even the prawns we can buy in the supermarket will surprise you with their authentic flavour. On special you can buy a bag of 35 raw prawns for under $10, which isn’t bad. Shared between four people you get a decent amount each for just $2.50 a head, which is a lot better value for money than if you were to order one in a resturant. If you can buy larger ones, then go for it!
Then all you need is a good dressing (and it’s worthwhile making your own here) and a little greenery. Have a hunt around for some pretty glasses in the cupboard. If you are going to go to some trouble with this little gem, then you don’t want to let the side down with miserable presentation.
Prawn cocktail revisited
Serves 4
Raw prawns (whatever you can afford or source), placed in a pan of simmering salted water until just cooked. This takes just a few minutes, so watch them closely.
A bunch of fresh rocket leaves, washed and dried
2 avocados
4 crisp lettuce leaves to line the dishes
(iceberg or cos are good)
Cocktail sauce:
2 fresh egg yolks
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
140ml light olive oil (or use a mixture, say 100ml
grapeseed and 40ml olive oil)
1 tablespoon of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
Good splash of Kaitaia Fire or tabasco sauce
For the dressing, process the yolks, mustard and vinegar in a small food processor and slowly start adding the oil as you would when making a normal mayonnaise. When all the oil has been incorporated, transfer the sauce to a bowl and add the other ingredients. Season well with salt and pepper and taste. Refrigerate until required.Lay a lettuce leaf decoratively in each glass. Finely slice the rocket and place a small pile on top of the lettuce. Halve and slice the avocados and place one half in a fan shape in each glass. Pile the prawns on top and spoon a dollop of the dressing on top. Serve immediately, maybe with a glass of well-chilled Mateus Rose for old time’s sake.
Another great summertime salad, which can be prepared ahead and presented with a flourish to plenty of applause, is this prawn, watermelon and feta salad. Very pretty to look at, it’s refreshing and is the sort of thing I imagine they serve in fancy health spas for lunch. You could add toasted seeds to this dish, or make it redder than red and add slices of radish and pomegranate seeds.
Watermelon, feta and prawn salad
Serves 4
300g raw prawns, peeled and deveined
1 small ripe watermelon
150g feta
Fresh mint
Cook the prawns as in the above recipe. Cut the peeled watermelon into chunks or wedges and place on a large white serving plate. Scatter on the prawns and the feta. Some mint leaves are the final touch, and if you need a dressing it can be as simple as a squeeze of lime or lemon juice and a drizzle of your best olive oil. A sprinkle of sea salt and a grind of pepper, and you are ready to serve.
Now…. paua. My parents sometimes go “pauaing”, and recently did. Visiting them the next day I dutifully brought in the washing from their clothesline in the late afternoon, and there amongst the tea-towels and shorts, obviously cut carelessly from an old pair of overalls, was a perfectly good pocket. Why? I asked myself. Why? I asked my parents. My father instantly perked up and said “Oh well, that’s my paua-bashing pocket of course. I put the paua in the pocket, button it up and bash.” Well of course! My dad’s paua were as tender as a baby’s bottom—as usual—and thinly sliced and quickly fried with just a douse of lemon juice and a sprinkle of finely chopped parsley at the final second, they tasted perfect.
I love that taste of iron, goodness, living off the land, of just enough to satisfy the craving, of feeling lucky enough to know someone who’s happy to share. This is exactly the way in which we cook our paua, as written by Lauraine Jacobs in Cuisine.
Paua with parsley and lemon
6 paua; basically allow 1 per person. Beaten in a pocket (or such) to tenderise
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or other mild oil)
Juice of two lemons
1 small bunch of finely chopped parsley
Using a sharp knife, slice the paua very thinly. Heat the oil in a heavy based frying pan until very hot. Season the paua and immediately add half to the pan. Sear quickly on both sides, flipping the pan to keep them moving. Add half the lemon juice and half the parsley and swirl it around the pan. Tip onto a warm serving platter and repeat with the remaining paua, lemon and parsley. Serve with a crisp green salad and some crusty bread.
Fiona Feasey
