Free Range Chef

Grilled prawns with chorizo butter recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the prawns:

12 king prawns, part peeled with head and tail left on
Olive oil to cover
1 lemon, zest
2 garlic cloves, diced
25g paprika picante
4 sprigs of thyme, picked

For the chorizo butter:
125g mini Catalan chorizo picante
100ml red wine
50ml cabernet sauvignon vinegar (any good red wine vineagar is fine)
1 fine diced red chilli
250g lightly salted butter, room temperature
Juice of 1 lemon

For the aioli:
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
½ lemon, juiced
300ml vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the fritada sauce:
75ml olive oil
175g diced shallots
100ml of sherry vinegar
100ml of white wine vinegar
500ml red pepper puree
11 tomatoes blanched peeled and cut into ¼ - leave the seeds in
1 garlic clove, chopped

For the parsley oil:
½ bunch of parsley leaves
25ml olive oil
25ml vegetable oil

For the garnish:
Balsamic vinegar
Lemons wedges
Paprika picante for dusting
4 skewers

Method:
1. Peel the prawns leaving the head and tail on, put 4 prawns on each skewer, place into a container pour over enough olive oil to cover. Add the lemon zest, diced garlic, paprika picante and thyme. Mix well and leave to marinade for a maximum of 24 hours.

2. To make the chorizo butter, cut chorizo into rings into a frying pan and heat gently. Allow for some of the excess fat to come out of the chorizo for a few minutes, turning the chorizo to allow maximum oil to be released.

3. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and vinegar, add the chilli and reduce the liquid by half and then liquidise to a puree. Set aside to cool, add to the softened butter along with the juice of one lemon and mix well. Place onto a large piece of cling film and then roll into a sausage shape and set in the fridge for an hour.

4. For the aioli, mix together egg yolk, white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard to a paste. Add crushed garlic, then slowly whisk in the oil until aioli reaches a thick consistency. Add lemon juice and check seasoning. Refrigerate until needed.

5. For the fritada sauce, heat a heavy bottomed saucepan and add the olive oil and the shallots. Cook over a low heat for 10-15 minutes, being careful not to pick up any colour. Add the vinegars and reduce to a syrup, add the red pepper puree and the chopped tomatoes and continue to cook on a low heat for approx 1-1½ hours, stirring occasionally. When the sauce has reduced by a third remove from the heat and add the chopped garlic. Set aside until needed.

6. For the parsley oil, place the oil and the parsley in a liquidiser blend for about two minutes, pass the oil through a coffee filter and store until needed.

7. When ready to serve, take the skewered prawns and place on a hot griddle pan. Cook for 1½ minutes on each side. Take a sauté pan, heat and add some of the chorizo butter. Cook until foaming, add the prawns for 20 seconds. Dress the prawns on the plate with the fritada sauce, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and the parsley oil. Serve with the aioli, a wedge of lemon and a light dusting of paprika