Chilli garlic prawns starter served on cocktail sticks with pan fried strips of courgette. The king prawns are cooked in a spicy honey glaze and served with a sprinkle of chopped parsley. Make ahead and serve cold straight from the fridge. Or cook up in 30 minutes and serve warm with side of chilli jam. Delicious either way.
Large plate and kitchen towel to keep cooked courgette on
Cocktail sticks and serving plate/platter
Ingredients
2large courgettes
2tablespoonolive oil(For the courgettes)
300gfresh raw king prawns
1 tablespoon Oil(for chilli garlic glaze)
2tablespoonhoney
1garlic cloveminced, grated or finely chopped
1red chilliseeds removed and chilli finely chopped
1tablespoonMirinsweet Japanese rice wine
20gparsleyroughly chopped
Extra oil, parsley and black pepper for serving (optional)
Instructions
Slice the courgette into ribbons using a peeler.
2 large courgettes
Place the prepared courgette strips in a bowl and drizzle over 2 of the tablespoons of olive oil. Toss well to fully coat. Place a griddle pan on a high heat and set up a large plate with a piece of kitchen towel on, ready for the cooked courgette strips.
2 tablespoon olive oil
Lay the courgette strips side by side in the hot pan and cook off in batches. Note that courgette strips are thin enough to just pan fry on one side.
Leave the courgettes in the pan until griddle marks appear, then remove and place on the plate lined with kitchen towel. Layer more kitchen towel on top of cooked courgettes as the plate fills up.
Pour the remaining tablespoon of olive oil into a small jar or bowl. Add the honey, garlic, chilli, mirin rice wine and the chopped parsley.
1 tablespoon Oil, 2 tablespoon honey, 1 garlic clove, 1 red chilli, 1 tablespoon Mirin, 20 g parsley
Mix together well
Place the griddle pan on a high heat. When the pan is hot add the raw king prawns and pour over the chilli garlic glaze. Pan fry until the prawns turn bright pink.
300 g fresh raw king prawns
Transfer the cooked prawns to a bowl along with the glaze. If you think your prawns are cooked but the sauce isn't yet thick or sticky, then remove the prawns and place in a low oven and bring the sauce to a simmer and heat until its the right consistency. Drizzle the sauce over the prawns before it cools and sets.
Make the prawn cocktail sticks by skewering 2 cooked prawns on the stick with 2 folded strips of courgette sandwiched in between (see recipe images).
At this point you can either chill the chilli garlic prawn cocktail sticks and serve cold. Or serve warm and straight away. To ensure a piping hot starter, place the finished 'prawns on sticks' on a baking tray and blast in the oven on high for a minute or so just before serving.
Serve with a drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of fresh parley and a grind of black pepper.
Extra oil, parsley and black pepper for serving
Notes
Courgette prep: peel along the length until you reach the seeds. Then turn the courgette and repeat until all sides have been peeled.King prawns: King prawns are the best option here as they are large enough to serve on cocktail sticks. This recipe includes instructions for pan frying raw king prawns but if preferred you can use pre cooked prawns.Cooking prawns: The best way to cook the prawns for this recipe is to pan fry them in the chilli glaze. However, if you just want to cook the prawns without a glaze you can simply stir fry with oil or gently poached in simmering water. You will know the prawns are cooked when they turn bright pink all over.Pan fry in batches: both the courgette and the prawns can be pan fried in batches if it won't all fit in the pan at the same time. After cooking, both can be chilled in the fridge or kept warm in a low oven.Mirin: If you can't get hold of any Mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine) you can substitute with 1 teaspoon of caster sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon of either white wine, white wine vinegar or dry sherryChilli: Optional.Parsley: Also optional and could be replaced with freshly chopped dill or coriander.Getting a sticky finish on your prawns starter: You may find that your prawns are cooked but the sauce isn't thick or sticky enough. If this is the case, rather than over cook the prawns, remove them from the pan and place in a low oven to keep warm. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and continue to heat until its the right consistency. Drizzle the sauce over the prawns before it cools and sets.Serving: Serve the chilli garlic prawns on cocktail sticks as suggested or serve piled on top of the courgette on a large platter. Alternatively, arrange in cocktail glasses or on larger skewers.Can you make this recipe ahead of time? Yes, make and arrange the chilli garlic prawns on cocktail sticks. Then transfer to your serving plate and cover in cling film then chill until ready to serve. To make ahead but still serve hot the cooked ingredients should be chilled loose and not on cocktail sticks. Then when ready to serve follow the reheating instructions below before arranging on sticks. (To ensure a piping hot starter place the finished 'prawns on sticks' on a baking tray and blast in the oven on high for a minute or so just before serving).Can you reheat cooked prawns? If you are wanting to reheat the cooked prawns make sure they are fully cooled and then refrigerate. When ready to reheat; place the chilli garlic prawns on a baking tray and cook in the oven on high for 5 minutes or until sizzling and piping hot (the same method can be used to reheat the courgette). Alternatively, return to the pan and stir fry in a little oil until piping hot. Use your cooked and chilled prawns within 24 hours. If you have bought pre-cooked prawns, follow the packet instructions for heating.