How to make chipotle prawn tostadas with chilli crème

It’s not just sausages, burgers and slabs of meat that fare well on the barbecue – seafood and vegetables are good too, says Julia Platt Leonard

Photography by Julia Platt Leonard (Julia Platt Leonard)

Burgers and steaks are the natural suspects when you think of barbecuing but vegetables, fish and seafood benefit from a hit of smoke too. They don’t need much time to cook either so they’re perfect candidates for a speedy dinner or lazy summer lunch.

Marinades and dry rubs are a great way to infuse flavour before cooking and sauces add an extra layer of flavour after the fact. For these prawn tostadas, I’ve done both, marinating the prawns first in chipotle peppers and lime and then picked up both those flavours in a chilli crème, which is drizzled over before serving.

If you haven’t tried chipotle peppers in adobo sauce before, you should. Chipotles are smoked and dried jalapeno peppers. They’re rehydrated in a mixture of tomatoes, vinegar and spices. The result is smoky, hot and very moreish. You can find tins in supermarkets or buy online.

I sometimes purée the entire contents of a tin, use what I need, and then freeze the rest in small containers (the size of ice cubes). It’s great to have on hand to toss into soups and stews.

I use fresh, shell-on prawns which I peel, leaving the tail intact, but you could use frozen – just allow plenty of time for them to thaw completely before marinating them.

I parboil the sweetcorn before grilling it so I can focus on getting some char without having to worry if the corn is cooked or not. Corn tortillas add a nice bite and echo the sweetcorn, but flour is fine as well. I’ve topped mine with avocado, radishes and feta but spinach would be lovely as would roasted peppers or vine-ripened tomatoes.

(Julia Platt Leonard (Julia Platt Leonard)

Chipotle prawn tostadas with chilli crème

If you don’t have a barbecue or the weather isn’t cooperating, then you can cook the shrimp and vegetables on a ridged pan on the stove or under the grill.

Serves 2

50g chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil plus extra to brush over the corn and spring onions
1 lime, juiced
10 large prawns, shell-on
3 tbsp single cream
1 corn on the cob
2 spring onions 
2 corn tortillas
3-4 breakfast radishes, thinly sliced
½ avocado, thinly sliced
​Feta cheese, to garnish (optional)

Purée with a stick blender or finely chop the chipotle peppers with the adobo sauce. Reserve a heaped teaspoon for the chilli crème and place the rest in a bowl large enough to hold the prawns. Add the vegetable oil and half the lime juice, reserving the rest of the juice for the chilli crème.

Peel the prawns but leave the tail shell on. Place them in the marinade for half an hour or so until you’re ready to barbecue. Season them with salt just before you grill them. To make the chilli crème, mix the reserved chipotle peppers with the remaining lime juice and the single cream. Season with salt and set aside.

Bring a pot of water to the boil, add salt and cook the corn for 4-5 minutes or until just tender. Drain and brush the corn and spring onions with a bit of vegetable oil.

Over a medium-hot barbecue, grill the corn and spring onions until nicely charred on all sides. Remove, and when cool enough to handle, slice the sweetcorn off the cob. Remove the prawns from the marinade and grill on both sides until cooked through. This will only take a few minutes. Lastly, heat up the tortillas on the barbecue so they’re warm as well.

To assemble the tostadas, divide the prawns, avocado, and radishes between the two tortillas. Dot with some feta cheese (if using), the chilli crème, the sweetcorn and a spring onion. Serve warm with any remaining chilli crème on the side.

@juliapleonard