This is the perfect dish for for one – or more if needed …
My boyfriend isn’t really into prawns, so we don’t have them much at home – unless we’re in Mallorca. So, when I’m cooking for myself, it’s the perfect chance to have them all to myself. I’ll stand at the hob, adding chunks of bread to soak up the oil, then spooning it all into my mouth with a prawn. I love the crunch of celery in this, but if it’s not your thing, you can skip it. I usually get my prawns from my local fishmonger because I like them with the shells on, or I’ll buy frozen ones from a good Asian supermarket. @kittycoles
Serves 1 or more
Ingredients
170g shelled (or shell-on) raw king prawns, or however many you want to eat
75ml extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about 5mm thick)
1 small celery stick, very finely sliced (plus its leaves for garnish)
A small pinch of chilli flakes
A few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
1 small handful of parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
Flaky sea salt
Sourdough bread for dipping and soaking
Method
1. Pat the prawns dry with paper towels (you don’t want too much water hitting the hot oil), then season with salt and set aside.
2. Pour the olive oil into a cold frying pan and add the garlic. Starting with a cold pan ensures the garlic heats up gradually and doesn’t burn.
3. Place the pan over medium-high heat. Once the garlic starts to lightly fry (about 30 seconds) add the prawns, celery, black pepper, and chilli flakes. Let them sizzle together for 1-2 minutes, until the prawns turn light pink.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the prawns to finish cooking in the residual heat for 1 minute.
5. Add the parsley and celery leaves as a garnish. Tear up small bits of bread and toss everything together to coat in the oil.