Grilling and dipping

Prawns make an exotic meal when simply grilled and served with an exciting dipping sauce, notes

Rajni Anand Luthra

It’s Sunday night and the kids want to go out for dinner. They do know that Sunday nights are strictly home-oriented, but they’ve ganged up on us this time. After some discussion, they settle for a ‘fancy’ home-cooked meal instead.

Later, they declare the meal a ‘gourmet dinner’, and we finish off the weekend in happy spirits.

The ‘fancy’ dinner is something Mum and Dad have whipped up in a rush – grilled prawns and mango salsa, served with a simple vegetable pulao and plain yogurt. (There’s more mango for dessert, served with a good quality vanilla ice cream). It’s a simple meal that took us both less than an hour to prepare.

Grilled prawns can be a great saviour when you’re stuck for what to cook. Easy to prepare because all you need is 4-5 minutes on the barbecue, and prawns don’t even need to be marinated for long. In fact, I think they come out best when the marinating itself is as simple as possible.

For many years prawns made a rare appearance in my kitchen because I believed they were high in cholesterol. I now know that they do contain some cholesterol, but they can be good for you – they are very low in saturated fats (unless deep-fried), and apparently are even lower in calories and fat than chicken – but with much more protein. They are also rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which promote a healthy heart. Again, they are an excellent source of magnesium (good for bone development and nerve and muscle function), zinc (good for growing bodies), selenium (an important antioxidant) as well as iron and vitamin E.

To marinate prawns for grilling, there are three broad techniques: Continental, Asianinfluenced and Indian. The first of these is usually my preferred option (seafood generally tastes better with as little additions to it as possible, and Indian ingredients can often be overbearing, particularly in seafood dishes). Perhaps the easiest way to grill prawns would be with no marinating at all except some olive oil and maybe salt and pepper, served with a dipping sauce (or dressing), or salad of your choice. But here are some simple marinades:

* Mix butter, oil, chilli flakes, lime zest, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add prawns, mix well and set aside for a while.

* Combine crushed garlic, salt, lemon juice, fresh coriander and olive oil in a bowl. Add prawns. (For another version, use spring onions in place of coriander).

* Mix together honey, lemon juice, chilli flakes and olive oil, and add prawns.

* Whisk together pineapple juice, olive oil, oregano and chilli powder in a large bowl. Add prawns and toss well.

* Mix together 2 tbsp mustard, 1 tbsp tomato ketchup and lemon pepper seasoning for another marinade.

* If you want to put a bit more effort into your marinade, try wine. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Sauté garlic, onions and parsley. Add wine and lemon. Simmer over low heat a few minutes. (Add a little water if necessary). Cool and then toss the prawns in.

* For a simple Asian-influenced marinade, mix prawns in garlic, fish sauce and olive oil.

* Mix together some mirin or rice wine, unrefined sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Throw prawns in.

* Mince some onion and garlic, add a touch of peanut oil and thrown prawns in. Grill, and then serve with an Asian-style dipping sauce.

* Blend together lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, chilli, garlic, ginger, coriander, olive oil, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add prawns.

* Mix together some chopped mint, coriander and basil, red chillies, olive oil, lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, sugar and salt. Toss prawns in.

* For an Indian-inspired version, combine lots of lemon juice, salt, chilli powder, crushed garlic, a touch of brown sugar, fresh coriander and oil.

* Put prawns in a bowl and add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, black pepper powder, cumin seeds, ginger-garlic paste and some oil.

* Blend green chillies, garlic, ginger, peppercorns, cumin and coriander seeds and turmeric in a food processor until roughly chopped. Add some fresh coriander, mint and a little coconut cream and blend again to form a smooth paste. Coat the prawns in this mix (add a little water if too thick).

On The Side

Dipping sauce

For a simple Asian-style dipping sauce, use peanut butter mixed with 1 tsp sea salt, freshly-ground black pepper, and plenty of lime juice.

Or again, mix together 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tsp caster sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Or you could use fish sauce – mix it with grated palm sugar, crushed garlic, deseeded red chillies and chopped fresh coriander.

For an Indian-inspired dipping sauce, mix plain yogurt with chopped fresh mint and coriander, lime zest, salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Pineapple Salsa

Toss together 3 cups pineapple chunks, ½ cup diced red capsicum, ½ cup diced cucumber, ¼ cup diced red onion and chopped deseeded red chilli to taste. For dressing, whisk together 1 ½ tbsp lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder and a pinch of salt. Pour over salad and mix to combine. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mango and Ginger Salsa

Dice 2 medium sturdy mangoes. Grate 1-inch piece ginger. Blend to a smooth paste ¼ cup coriander leaves, ¼ cup Thai or Vietnamese basil leaves, ¼ cup mint leaves. Combine everything in a bowl and toss to combine. Add 2 tsp Thai chilli oil or to taste, juice of half a lime and salt. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until serving time.

Avocado Tartare

Toss together in a bowl 1 avocado, half a red onion and 1 sturdy tomato all diced. Add in juice of half a lemon. Drizzle over a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.