Who feels like a big pile of plump juicy prawns marinated in garlic, seared until golden and laced with a lemon garlic butter? Hands down, my favourite way to cook prawns!

Quick and easy, never fails to impress. And the secret ingredient that makes all the difference? A splash of white wine which adds an extra edge of flavour. Restaurant secret!

Prep Time

    •    Prep time: 10 minutes
    •    Cook time: 6 minutes
    •    Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

For garlic marinade for prawns:

    •    1/2 tsp black pepper
    •    4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    •    1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (separated)
    •    500g prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined, tail on

For cooking:

    •    1/2 tsp salt
    •    1.5 tbsp olive oil
    •    2 tbsps lemon juice
    •    1/4 cup dry white wine
    •    50g / 3.5 tbsps unsalted butter, cut into 1.5cm / 1/2" cubes

For serving:

    •    lemon wedges
    •    bread for mopping
    •    2 tbsps parsley, finely chopped (garnish)

Method

1. Marinade: Place the prawns, garlic, olive oil and pepper in bowl. Gently toss then set aside for 20 minutes.
2. Salt: Add salt into prawns just before cooking and toss.

For cooking:

1. Sear in batches: Heat oil and about 1/3 of the butter in a large heavy based fry pan over high heat. When the butter is melted, add half the prawns - don't crowd the pan.
2. Cook for 1 minute until light golden then turn with tongs. Cook 1 minute then remove onto a plate. Cook the remaining prawns also for 1 minute each side (you shouldn't need more oil).
3. Return first batch of prawns back into pan.
4. Add wine - it will sizzle and be steamy! Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, until wine mostly evaporates - around 30 seconds.
5. Butter & lemon: Scatter remaining butter across pan, add lemon juice. After butter melts, stir for 30 seconds, then remove from stove.
6. Garnish & serve: Transfer to serving plate, sprinkle with parsley and serve with extra lemon wedges. Bread for mopping is essential - try this simple.

NOTES:

    •    Prawns - if using frozen, thaw and drain well to remove excess moisture otherwise the prawns won't go golden, they will just stew and get watery in the pan. Use paper towels to pat dry.

    •    Less butter - you can skip the extra butter added at the end to reduce calories. Creates sauce and makes this extra indulgent, but it's super delicious even without.

    •    Wine - A dry white wine is best. Wine adds an edge to the flavour that takes this up a notch, so don't skip it!

This great family recipe is thanks to Recipe Tin Eats at https://www.recipetineats.com/garlic-prawns-shrimp/