Mandolin’s Grilled Tiger Prawns
Inroduction
About this Recipe
By: Sheridan Rogers
These grilled tiger prawns epitomise Greek cooking at its best – seafood fresh from the sea, grilled and dressed simply, the kind of laidback fare I enjoyed so much when I visited the island of Lesvos a few years ago. This recipe is from the Mandolin Aegean Bistro in Miami, Florida, opened by husband and wife team Ahmet Erkaya and Anastasia Koutsioukis in 2009. On a trip there from New York they stumbled upon an old 1940s bungalow and decided to move and open their dream restaurant serving simple, unpretentious, healthy food using the freshest ingredients. On a recent visit to Miami from New York, I enjoyed a delicious alfresco meal there.
Ingredients
- tiger prawns 12, heads and shells intact
- paprika 1 teaspoon
- dried oregano 1 teaspoon
- extra virgin olive oil 6 tablespoons
- sea salt
- lemon 1, cut into 4 wedges to serve
Using a sharp pair of scissors, carefully cut through the shell of each prawn from the backside, starting at the tail and going through the body, stopping before the head and exposing the vein. Carefully remove the vein and rinse the prawns in cold water, keeping the shells and heads intact and essentially “butterflying” them. Place 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1/2 teaspoon oregano in a bowl with the olive oil and mix well. Pour over the prawns and leave to marinate for 15 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the grill to medium and season the prawns with sea salt. Grill the prawns for about 4 minutes on each side, moving them around so that the shells don’t burn. Continue grilling until the flesh is opaque. Divide the prawns between four plates and sprinkle with the rest of the paprika and oregano. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with lemon wedges.