Popping Prawns

If you ever visit South Africa (and I’m speaking to our overseas readers), try and fit in a visit to Knysna. It will be well worth your while.

My memories of Knysna take me back to family holidays spent there. The main attraction was the lagoon. The tides made all the difference. High tide meant fishing off one of the many jetties belonging to the holiday accommodation establishments. Walking around the lagoon with the water lapping only a metre or two from the walkway. Watching the boats darting across the lagoon making good use of the  increased water depth.

The children loved low tide. Suddenly vast stretches of sandy beaches would appear. Great for sand-castle building. Toddlers could safely play in the shallow receding water. Best of all, one could catch mud-prawns. The local fishermen would use bought or homemade prawn pumps but the children and I would find empty jam tins (if we couldn’t find any, we would empty out something like baked beans which we had bought for supper. Much to my wife’s disgust)

You would choose a hole, and there were hundreds, and placing the tin upside down over the hole, you would push with all your might. Most times just water would squirt out another hole that was linked. About every third, fourth hole, a big fat mud-prawn would pop out. Someone had to be ready to catch the blighters before they scurried back in the hole again. They were kept in a bucket of sea-water until the next high tide, when off to fishing you, and the kids, would go. Those were the best holidays.

Mud-prawns weren’t any good for eating but were great for catching fish, especially the pig-nose grunter, and that was great for eating.

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Tangy Prawn Spring Rolls

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbsp (15ml) peanut or vegetable oil
• 4 cups (320g) shredded red cabbage
• 2 large carrots, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 20 cooked and peeled prawn tails, chopped
• 3 Tbsp (45ml) soy sauce
• 1 packet (150g) bean sprouts
• 20 spring roll wrappers
• Sunflower oil, for frying
• Salt and milled pepper
• Sweet chilli sauce, for serving
• Fresh coriander, for serving
• Sliced fresh chilli, for serving

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Stir-fry cabbage, carrots, spring onions and garlic together for 2 minutes.
3. Add prawn meat and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Stir through soy sauce and sprouts, then set aside to cool.
5. Place spoonfuls of the filling onto spring roll wrappers.
6. Brush edges with water and roll up to form spring rolls.
7. Heat 2cm-deep sunflower oil in a saucepan and fry spring rolls, 4 at a time, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and season while hot.
8. Serve with sweet chilli sauce, coriander and chilli on the side.

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Prawn Rolls

INGREDIENTS

• About ½ (250g) Easy peel vannamei prawns, defrosted, shelled and deveined
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup (80ml) tangy mayonnaise
• ½ tsp (3ml) cayenne pepper or paprika
• Juice (60ml) of 1 lemon
• Dash Tabasco sauce of choice (optional)
• Salt and milled pepper
• Baguette, about 30cm
• Melted butter, for brushing
• Lettuce leaves, for serving

METHOD

1. Place prawns in a colander over a pot of boiling water. Seal with a tight-fitting lid and steam for 3–5 minutes, or until bright pink.
2. Set aside to cool.
3. Toss together prawns, celery, mayonnaise, pepper or paprika, lemon juice and Tabasco (if using). Season.
4. Cut baguette into 5cm-thick slices.
5. Slice 3/4 through the crust to create a pocket.
6. Brush with melted butter and toast the outside in a hot pan.
7. Fill with lettuce leaves and prawn filling just before serving.

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Avocado Ritz

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp (30ml) butter
• 18 prawns, cleaned, deveined and heads removed
• Salt and milled pepper
• ⅓ cup (80ml) mayonnaise
• ¼ cup (60ml) tomato sauce
• Juice (30ml) of ½ lemon
• Tabasco sauce
• ½ tsp (3ml) paprika
• 3 baby gem lettuce, shredded
• 2 avocados, quartered

METHOD

1. Heat butter in a pan and fry prawns until bright pink. Season, remove and set aside.
2. To make the sauce, combine mayonnaise, tomato sauce, lemon juice, a few shakes of Tabasco and paprika. Season.
3. Divide lettuce, avocados and a dollop of sauce between 6 serving glasses.
4. Top with prawns, remaining sauce and a sprinkle of paprika.

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Mexican prawns on avo

INGREDIENTS

• 400g frozen, ready-cut and deveined prawn tails, defrosted and shells removed
• 1 tsp (5ml) ground cumin
• 1 tsp (5ml) ground coriander
• 1 tsp (5ml) smoked paprika
• 1 tsp (5ml) cayenne pepper
• Salt and milled pepper
• Olive oil, for frying
• 4 avocados
• Salsa:
• 1 red pepper
• 2 jalapeño chillies (optional)
• 2 tomatoes, deseeded and diced
• ½ bunch spring onions, finely sliced
• Handful fresh coriander
• Juice (20ml) of 1 lime
• Dressing:
• ½ cup (125ml) sour cream
• 2 Tbsp (30ml) tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp (30ml) tequila (optional)
• Lemon juice, to taste
• Tabasco sauce, to taste

METHOD

1. Toss prawns in spices. Season and set aside.
2. Chargrill red pepper and chillies until blackened.
3. Cover in clingfilm to loosen skins, then peel, remove seeds and dice.
4. Toss with remaining salsa ingredients.
5. Season and set aside.
6. Fry prawns in a glug of oil until just cooked.
7. Whisk dressing ingredients together.
8. Cut avocados in half and peel.
9. Fill avo halves with salsa and prawns and serve drizzled with dressing.