CHERMOULA PRAWNS WITH ISRAELI COUS COUS, FENNEL, PRESERVED

Ingredients:

Lemon And Olives

• 1kg whole green prawns, peeled and deveined

• 1 clove garlic, peeled

• 20gm fresh ginger, grated

• 3 shallots, roughly chopped

• 1 small red chilli

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp turmeric

• ½ tsp pepper

• ½ cup fresh coriander leaves

• ½ cup vegetable oil

• 200gm Israeli (pearl) cous cous

• 1 onion, finely diced

• 1 clove garlic, sliced

• 30ml olive oil

• Pinch saffron threads, soaked in 2 tbs hot water for 15 minutes

• 500ml chicken stock, heated

• 1 small fennel bulb, finely sliced

• 2 tbs preserved lemon, finely sliced

• ½ cup green olives, pitted and chopped

• ½ cup fresh coriander leaves

• 1 golden shallot, finely sliced

• 30ml lemon juice

• 50ml extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper

Method:

• Blend the garlic, ginger, shallots, chilli, spices, fresh coriander and vegetable oil to a fine paste in a food processor. Mix through the prawns, cover and refrigerate until required.

• In a medium saucepan, fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Add the cous cous and stir over a low heat for 5 minutes until it starts to colour slightly, then add the soaked saffron and the hot chicken stock. Simmer slowly until all the stock is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper and cool.

• Fry or grill the prawns until cooked through, transfer to a large mixing bowl and mix with the cooled cous cous, fennel, preserved lemon, green olives, coriander, shallots, lemon juice and olive oil. Check seasoning and serve while the prawns are still hot.

Perfect

Method:

• In a large, heavy based saucepan, sauté the onion and leek in the olive oil until soft and translucent.

• Bring the stock to the boil in a small saucepan.

• Add the rice to the onion and leeks, reduce the heat to very low and cook for 3 -4 minutes, stirring regularly.

• Pour in the stock, about a cup at a time, allowing the rice to absorb all the liquid before adding more. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to stop it from sticking on the bottom.

• Once almost all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, add the crab meat, peas and asparagus, and stir through. Simmer for a couple of minutes until the crab meat has cooked.

Pretender

Perfect

Pretentious

Pretentious

• Stir in the parmesan and butter and season with salt and pepper. If the risotto is a bit thick at this stage add a bit more hot stock to thin it out. It should almost pour into the serving bowls.

• Mix together the lemon zest, garlic and parsley to make a gremolata to sprinkle over the risotto.