Spice up your alfresco dining this summer with chillies
Now that the fine weather finally seems to have arrived, its time to dust off the barbecue and get ready for some alfresco dining. To add a little more heat to this years barbecues, why not spice up things a bit by trying this great recipe for barbecued prawns marinated in soy and chilli, courtesy of the chilli guru Dan May and taken from his first recipe book; The Red Hot Chilli Cookbook.
Dan May is the founder of the Trees Can’t Dance brand of chilli, and in this fabulous new recipe book, he shares his favourite recipes that celebrate the fiery pepper, and also provides information on the history of the chilli, how to successfully grow them at home and how to recognise the key varieties and fully maximise their flavours.
In this fabulous book, founder of the Trees Can’t Dance chilli brand Dan May shares his favourite recipes celebrating the fiery pepper as well as providing information on the history of chillies, how to grow them at home and how to identify the key varieties and maximize their flavour.
The Red Hot Chilli Cookbook published by Ryland, Peters and Small is available on Amazon and on general release from the end of February, priced at £16.99.
Barbecue Prawns Marinated in Chilli & Soy
Here’s a great Asian marinade that is really quick and simple to make and just perfect for prawns. Marinating in a bag is also an excellent way to ensure everything gets an even coating of sauce. My favourite aïoli is the ideal accompaniment for the spicy prawns and juicy tomatoes.
500 g raw tiger prawns, peeled but tails intact
250 g cherry vine tomatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large green sweet pepper, deseeded and cut into 3-cm chunks
2 red Jalapeños, deseeded and cut into 1-cm pieces
watercress and toasted pita bread, to serve
Marinade
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Fresh aïoli
2 large egg yolks
4 very fresh garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
150 ml good-quality light olive oil
freshly squeezed juice of 1⁄2 lemon
medium sealable plastic food bag
8 wooden skewers, soaked in water overnight
gas or charcoal barbecue
Serves 4
To make the marinade, mix together all the ingredients and blend to a smooth purée using a hand blender. If you don’t have a hand blender, grind to a paste using a pestle and mortar.
Put the prawns in the sealable food bag and pour in the marinade. Seal securely. Shake vigorously and when all the prawns/shrimp look well coated, refrigerate, still in the bag, for about 2 hours.
Put the tomatoes and half the olive oil in a small saucepan and gently warm for 5 minutes, or just long enough for the tomatoes to start to soften. Remove from the heat and let cool.
To make the fresh aioli, beat the eggs yolks in a large bowl with a balloon whisk. Add the garlic and mustard and beat through. While beating the mixture, slowly add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream. When all the oil has been added, the aïoli should have a smooth, velvety appearance. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and gently stir through. Refrigerate until needed.
Light your barbecue. Always do this in plenty of time to have built up a good bed of hot ashes or charcoal that have burnt down to a white glow with no visible flames. This normally takes about 45 minutes from lighting.
Take the refrigerated prawns out of the bag and place on a plate, reserving any remaining marinade. Thread the marinated prawns, tomatoes, sweet pepper and Jalapeños onto the skewers in a repeating sequence and continue until all 8 skewers are filled. Make sure you allow for enough of each ingredient on each skewer, and leave enough space at the ends of the skewers to handle when on the barbecue.
In a small bowl, loosen the reserved marinade with 1–2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil. Using a pastry brush, liberally coat the skewers with the marinade just before placing on the barbecue.
Cook for a couple of minutes on each side until the prawns/shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. Serve with watercress, toasted pita bread and a good dollop of fresh aïoli.
My Tip: Be sure to soak the wooden skewers thoroughly, preferably overnight, before making up the skewers for the barbecue. This will prevent them from catching fire while you are cooking!
Recommended Chillies: For the skewers – Jalapeño, Cherry Bomb. For the marinade – Thai-style hot red chilli or red Bird’s Eye.
