Best Havana Prawns Recipes

CHILE-LEMONGRASS PRAWNS

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or very large saute pan over very high heat until very hot. Add the ginger, garlic, and shallots, and saute for 1 minute. Add the prawns and cook just until they start to turn pink, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the mirin and lemongrass, and cook, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the stock and chile sauce, and cook until the prawns are just cooked through. Season, to taste, with soy sauce. Serve warm.

HAVANA PRAWNS

Steps:

• In a skillet over high heat, add olive oil, onions and jalapenos and cook until the onions are caramelized. Add the shrimp, and season with salt and pepper.
• Deglaze pan with rum and add brown sugar. Cook until sugar has dissolved and caramelized. Serve immediately.

KATAIFI-WRAPPED PRAWNS WITH LEMON OIL

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine olive oil and grated lemon peel. Let sit overnight. Strain mixture using a fine sieve.
• Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Lightly coat a sheet pan with canola oil. Slice shrimp 3/4 of the way lengthwise to butterfly. Roll flat in 1/2-ounce kataifi dough. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until kataifi turns light brown.
• Serve with 1-teaspoon lemon oil and 2 tablespoons papaya relish.

BARBECUED GRILLED LOBSTER AND PRAWNS

Steps:

• For the Lime Chile Coriander Butter: Mix together the coriander, garlic, lime zest and juice, chile and butter until combined. Scrape into a small ramekin and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• For the lobster: Preheat grill over medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates.
• To kill the lobsters humanely, set each of them side by side on a board in front of you, claws facing towards the right. On top of the lobster shell, you'll see a cross shape just below the head. Stick the point of a sharp, heavy knife at the cross and push it through to the board. The lobster will be killed instantly. Afterwards, take the knife and slice down the middle of the lobster, lengthwise. Repeat with the second lobster.
• Look at the insides of the lobsters. Remove and discard what you see in the sac behind the eyes, then you will see the little pale-colored claws. Pull those from the shells, and discard them as well. Remove, and reserve the green stuff, which, despite appearances, is a delicacy called the tomalley, the lobster liver. Cook's Note: You'll need to saute the tomalley gently if you want to eat it, as it will simply burn on the barbecue or griddle. Treat similarly any coral sac you may find, as this is the lobster roe.
• Remove the claws as they cook since they coagulate at different rates compared to the rest of the lobster. Crack them open by hitting them with a sharp knife to help the heat penetrate the flesh. Place the lobster claws on the searing-hot grill, and cook for 6 minutes, then turn and add the lobster halves, cut-side down, to the grill. Cook the halves for 3 minutes, then turn them, and cook for another 2 minutes. The claws take another 6 minutes on their second side, so the pieces should be ready at the same time.
• If you are using a griddle, get your griddle pan as hot as possible, and paint the lobsters with oil before setting them in the pan. The cooking times will be the same. The lobster will turn from bluish-black to bright orange when cooked. Serve the finished product with lemon or lime wedges.
• For the prawns:
• Mix together the oil, vinegar, garlic, parsley, and adjust the seasonings with salt, and black pepper. Pull the heads from the prawns and remove the little legs.
• Cook's note: You can either discard these trimmings or use them to make fish stock.
• With a sharp knife, make a shallow cut down the back of each prawn and, with your finger or a cocktail stick, discard the black vein. Add the tails to the oil and vinegar mixture, cover, and leave them to marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. Meanwhile, if you intend to cook the prawns on wooden skewers, soak the skewers in cold water while the prawns marinate to prevent the skewers from burning on the grill.
• Preheat the broiler or preheat a griddle on medium-high heat.
• Remove the prawns from their marinade, and cook them either on the soaked wooden skewers on a very hot grill or under a hot broiler. Alternatively, grill them in a searing griddle pan. In either case, the prawns should cook for 3 minutes per side, and baste them with the marinade throughout the process. Serve the prawns or shrimp with lemon or lime wedges.

PRAWNS SAMBUCA

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, shallots, and prawns, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the wine and liqueur. Return the pan to the heat and carefully flambee. Add the tomatoes and tarragon and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes. Add the butter and reduce slightly. Add the cooked pasta and toss well. Garnish each serving with a tarragon leaf and chives.;

PRAWNS WITH VANILLA COCONUT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saute pan, melt the butter. Add the prawns and vanilla bean and let them saute for 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk and let it thicken. When the prawns are completely cooked, season with the salt and pepper and serve.

SANGRIA GLAZED PRAWNS

Steps:

• For the glaze: In a small sauce pot add all ingredients except cornstarch and water. On medium-low heat, simmer and reduce mixture by 1/3. In small sauce bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Then whisk this into the hot mixture. Turn heat to low and simmer until reduced by half.
• For the prawns: In medium saute pan add butter and oil. When butter is melted add onions and peppers. Cook until translucent but not to achieve color. Add apples and prawns, and cook until prawns turn pink. Toss with paprika and glaze.
• Garnish with fresh mint.

PLATTER OF SHRIMP WITH GARLICKY CUBAN MOJO (FUENTE DE CAMARONES AL AJILLO)

Steps:

• Prepare the mojo
• Make a wet garlic paste by mashing the garlic cloves with salt in a mortar and pestle. If you do not have one, you can use a cup and the back of a wooden spoon; otherwise, simply sprinkle the garlic with the salt and use your knife to chop it very finely into a paste.
• Place the garlic paste in a small bowl and pour the lime juice and orange juice over it. Allow the mixture to sit for 20 minutes.
• Place the olive oil in a small saucepan and set it over medium-high heat. (This can be done on your grill or on your stove.) When small bubbles begin to rise to the surface of the oil, carefully add the garlic and citrus mixture to the pan (the oil will sizzle a bit, so be careful that it does not splatter on you). Give the mixture a quick stir and allow to cook over medium-high heat for 1 minute before removing from the heat. Set aside.
• Season and grill the shrimp
• Place the shrimp in a large mixing bowl and drizzle the vegetable oil over them. Liberally season with salt and pepper and toss well. It's best to use your hands for this, as you want to make sure the oil and seasonings get inside the slits you made in the shrimp.
• Heat your grill to high (550°F) and close the lid. Wait at least 15 minutes before lowering the heat to medium-high (450°F) and continuing. Oil the grill grates with a vegetable oil-soaked paper towel held with a long pair of tongs.
• It is important to properly place the shrimp on the grill so that they cook quickly and evenly. Again, it is best to use your hands for this. Holding the shrimp by its tail, place the butterflied shrimp on the grill one by one, slit side down. Curl the tail down toward the head of the shrimp. Close the lid and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the flesh of the shrimp has turned white and is no longer translucent. You will not need to turn the shrimp over.
• Serve the shrimp and mojo
• Mound the grilled shrimp on a large platter and garnish with lime wedges. Serve with the garlicky mojo for your guests to use as a dipping sauce.