2016 is here – a new year has come with many new hopes. Traditionally, the Vietnamese don’t celebrate New Year’s Eve on 31st December. Nevertheless, abroad students like us blend in well with the Western culture and we happily welcome the holiday season, either joining our family back home or gathering with friends who are not home-bound for Christmas and New Year. A gathering is always synonymous with food, and a recipe that requires minimum effort, caters for a large number of people and is, of course, delicious is much appreciated. Something like this one: garlic butter grilled prawns.
Grilled prawns on a skewer is ideal party food. The skewer negates the need for fussy utensils – you simply need your hand (and possibly a napkin to clean your hand afterwards). A grill at the table, if you can prepare it, provides an adequate amount of D.I.Y to keep your guests engaged and excited cooking their own food. I guarantee, the heat, as well as the aroma from the grill will make your little get-together all the more fun, cosy and memorable.
INGREDIENTS
- 600 gram (1.3 lb.) prawns (fresh or frozen)
- 30 gram (2 Tbsp) unsalted butter – soft at room temperature
- 20 ml (4 tsp) olive oil
- 4-5 big garlic cloves (20 gram) – minced
- 5 gram (1 Tbsp) Mozzarella cheese – grated
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- Black pepper
- Bamboo skewers
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cut off the antennae and hard rostrum on the prawn’s head. Thread one prawn onto each skewer. Using a sharp knife or scissors, de-vein the prawn by cutting about halfway through the prawn from its head to its tail on the back. Wash them and pat dry with paper towels (Pic 1).
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients together (pic 2). Using a small spoon, put the garlic butter herb paste onto the split back of the prawns (pic 3). You can brush any leftover paste on the body of the prawns to add some extra buttery-ness.
3. Arrange the prawns on a baking tray (pic 4). Grill them at 200 – 210ºC/ 390 – 410ºF until they are cooked – you can tell by the lovely orange-pink colour of their shell (pic 5 – 6). I put the prawns into the oven the same time as I turn it on and my total baking time was about 25 – 30 minutes.
4. These prawns are best eaten while hot with a fresh squeeze of lemon. The only thing that can make them better (and fancier) is a glass of cold white wine 
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