This prawn with ginger and chilli jam recipe is such a good one to have up your sleeve for family dinner or a BBQ with friends.
By Danielle Alvarez with Libby Travers
While this is a recipe for prawns, I think the sweet, umami-rich jam is really the star. Beyond the grilled prawns, this jam is excellent with lobster, fish and chicken, or greens such as wilted bok choy.
Makes: Enough to serve 4
Before you begin: A food processor makes quick work of chopping the chilli, French shallot, ginger and garlic. Be sure to add each ingredient separately, so they chop evenly.
Ingredients
12 extra-large prawns, peeled and deveined, heads and tail left on
Ginger and chilli jam
½ cup (75 g) diced red chilli (deseeded), about 3 long red chillies
Scant ¼ cup (30 g) minced French shallot, about 1 large shallot
½ teaspoon Korean red chilli flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3–5 cloves)
1½ tablespoons (20 g) minced ginger
Generous 1/3 cup (90 ml) neutral oil
1½ tablespoons Shaoxing wine
½ tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon white (granulated) sugar
½ tablespoon fish sauce
To serve
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
Method
- For the ginger and chilli jam, combine the chilli, shallot, chilli flakes (if using), garlic and ginger in a small pot and add the oil. Sizzle this over a low heat for 15–20 minutes, until most of the water in the aromatics has evaporated and they are just beginning to brown. Stir often, ensuring you scrape the bottom of the pan. Some bits will stick and caramelise, which is fine; just make sure they don’t burn. Carefully (it will spit!) add in the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sugar and fish sauce and simmer for 5 minutes, until the mixture appears jammy and has thickened. Set aside.
- Place a rack in the top-third of your oven and preheat to 220°C (425°F). If your oven has a grill (broiler) option, use that here to cook the prawns on a high heat.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper and lay the prawns on the tray. Spoon a couple of teaspoons of the ginger and chilli jam over each prawn and bake in the oven for 5 minutes, flipping them over halfway through cooking. Note: if using your grill, you may need to adjust the cooking time slightly – you’re looking for the prawns to turn a nice pink colour.
- Remove the prawns from the oven and serve with wedges of lime and perhaps a small ramekin of the ginger and chilli jam on the side.
Note: I’ve written this recipe to be cooked using your oven but these prawns would be excellent cooked on an outdoor charcoal grill. Just brush the prawns with a small amount of neutral oil and grill for 2 minutes per side. Spoon the ginger and chilli jam over the cooked prawns.
Serving suggestions: The ginger and chilli jam recipe can be doubled and excess kept in a glass jar in your fridge for several weeks, or frozen indefinitely.
Images and text from Recipes for a Lifetime of Beautiful Cooking by Danielle Alvarez with Libby Travers, photography by Alan Benson. Murdoch Books RRP $49.99.
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