Pil pil prawns
Garlicky pil pil prawns with a little chilli heat and a little smoky paprika, do you need anything else? Plenty of bread to mop up, a fresh salad and someone to share with.
In this recipe the prawns are cooked quickly in garlic and chilli-infused olive oil in a very hot oven, but if you'd rather cook them on the hob then read the recipe tips below.
Ingredients
- 300g/10½oz raw king prawns, peeled
- 4 tbsp fruity olive oil
- 2 fat garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tsp crushed dried chilli
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- ½ lemon, juice only
- crusty bread, to serve
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. De-vein the prawns, rinse under cold water and pat dry on kitchen paper.
Pour the oil into an ovenproof terracotta or ceramic dish that is large enough to hold the prawns in a single layer – alternatively use two smaller dishes. Add the garlic and crushed chilli to the oil.
Heat the dishes in the hot oven for 5 minutes until the oil is very hot and the garlic has softened and started to turn golden brown. Quickly add the prawns to the hot oil, season with smoked paprika, salt and pepper and return to the oven for 5 minutes until the prawns are cooked through.
Scatter with the parsley, squeeze over the lemon juice and serve immediately with plenty of bread for mopping up the juices.
Recipe Tips
You can pan-fry the prawns if you prefer. Simply heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat until nearly smoking hot, add the sliced garlic and chilli and cook for 20 seconds. Add the prawns, season, stir well and cook for another minute or so until cooked through.