Garlic Prawns Recipe

Tender, juicy prawns in a rich, creamy garlic sauce.

We purchased 475g of headless, unshelled green prawns for this recipe.

Serves 4 as an entrée.

110g uncooked rice (or 1 1/3 cups cooked rice)
30g (1 1/2 tablespoons) butter or 1 1/2 tablespoons oil
16 green prawns, peeled and deveined
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
250ml (1 cup) thickened cream (35 percent fat)
1 tablespoon finely shredded basil, firmly packed

Cook rice according to the directions on the packet. Drain and keep warm.

Heat butter or oil in a frying pan or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add prawns and cook for a couple of minutes, until prawns have just changed colour but are not completely cooked through. Turn prawns once during cooking.

Reduce heat to low, stir in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, being careful not to brown garlic (it can develop a bitter flavour).

Add cream and increase heat so that the mixture is simmering rapidly.

While the sauce is reducing (keep an eye on the sauce to ensure it doesn't reduce too much), spoon one quarter of the rice into a mould with about 1/3 cup capacity (we use a 1/3 cup measuring cup). Using the back of a spoon, firmly press the rice into the mould. Invert mould onto a serving plate, tap on mould to release rice and lift mould away. Alternatively, use a ring mould. Repeat with remaining rice.

Simmer sauce until it has thickened to the desired consistency and prawns are cooked through. Stir in basil and remove from heat.

Place 4 prawns on each plate. Drizzle prawns with sauce and serve immediately. © www.exclusivelyfood.com.au