Salt and pepper tiger prawns

Serves

These are great for sharing and will keep you busy while the main course is on the way. Try to buy sea-water prawns as they have a much better taste than fresh water. Good fishmongers these days offer different sizes and types of prawns. Chose the biggest and save the heads, if they are still on, for a bisque (there I go again).

These are great for sharing and will keep you busy while the main course is on the way. Try to buy sea-water prawns as they have a much better taste than fresh water. Good fishmongers these days offer different sizes and types of prawns. Chose the biggest and save the heads, if they are still on, for a bisque (there I go again).

250g large headless raw tiger prawns in the shell
2 tbsp light (untoasted) sesame oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
Half bunch of spring onions, trimmed
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Remove the shells from the prawns, leaving the tails on. With a sharp serrated knife, cut down the back of the prawns about 5mm into the flesh and give them a rinse under cold running water to remove the black intestinal vein, then pat dry on some kitchen paper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a wok or heavy-based frying pan and fry the prawns on a high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the salt and Sichuan peppercorns, and continue cooking for a couple of minutes, stirring every so often. Remove the prawns from the pan and keep them warm.

Heat the rest of the sesame oil in the same pan and fry the spring onions, garlic and chilli for 1 minute. Add the prawns to the pan, stir well and serve immediately.