The kataifi prawns with apricot jam sauce makes an elegant main dish with a unique blend of flavors: the kataifi pastry creates a golden, crispy outer shell, whereas the mesclun salad and apricot jam add a fresh, delicate touch! Find this and many more recipes with pictures on the Giallozafferano App (in English) http://itunes.apple.com/app/giallozafferano-recipes/id384387249?mt=8
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Firstly prepare the prawns: peel off the shell, leaving the head and tail intact; work carefully to avoid breaking the prawn. Perfect, here’s how it should look! Now run a sharp knife along the back of the prawn, you’ll find a black string, that is the intestine, take a toothpick and take it out, because it tastes bitter. Now make the cut deeper, not cutting all the way through of course, and season the inside with a pinch of salt, pepper and a sprig of thyme. Press it closed and skewer the prawn with a stick like this, long and sturdy, to help it hold its shape while frying, or it will tend to curl up; push the skewer through the mouth of the prawn toward the tail, making sure the skewer is not exposed. Repeat for all the prawns.
Now it’s time to wrap the middle of each prawn with the pastry. Kataifi pastry is extremely thin as you can see, it resembles shredded phyllo dough; it’s very delicate because it dries out quickly, so unravel the pastry and pull the strands apart, then keep the rest covered with cling film or in a plastic bag to prevent it from drying out. Now take a strand and wrap it around the prawn, in this way; do the same with all the prawns, of course.
I’ll serve the prawns on a bed of mesclun salad, a mix of salad leaves including spinach and arugula, tender and flavourful. Prepare a dressing by whisking together lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper and chopped mint. Toss quickly and it’s done, all that’s left is to fry our prawns.
The oil has reached 340°F (170°C), the right temperature, so drop in the prawns. Fry for just a few minutes, until the pastry turns golden brown. Repeat with all the prawns. We are ready to plate up: arrange a few lemon slices, the dressed salad, the prawns, and finish off with the apricot jam. Now let’s see together the ingredients needed for this recipe!
Ingredients
For the kataifi prawns
– 12 fresh, whole prawns
– 1 lb (500 g) of kataifi pastry
– 1 pinch of salt
– 1 pinch of pepper
– 6 sprigs of thyme
– 2 pints (500 g) of vegetable oil for frying
For garnishing
– ¾ cup (250 g) of apricot jam
– 7 oz (200 g) of mesclun salad
– 2 ¾ tbsp (40 g) of extra virgin olive oil
– 1 pinch of salt
– 1 pinch of pepper
– 2 or 3 mint leaves
– the juice from ½ lemon