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Prawns with lettuce, avocado, anchovies and crisp garlic

Karen Martini
Karen Martini

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Prawns with lettuce, avocado, anchovies and crisp garlic.
Prawns with lettuce, avocado, anchovies and crisp garlic.Marina Oliphant

Not everyone wants garlic and anchovies as principal ingredients on Valentine's Day, so maybe skip this one if you're just starting out. In truth, frying the garlic takes the sting out of it, and if you don't see eye to eye on anchovies now, you probably never will. This can serve as entree or main course.

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Ingredients

  • 100ml extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more

  • 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced

  • 1/2 iceberg lettuce

  • 1 ripe avocado

  • 12 green king prawn cutlets (raw, shelled prawns), deveined, tails left on

  • Salt flakes

  • Freshly ground pepper

  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

  • 1 punnet snowpea shoots, ends trimmed

  • 6 quality anchovies

  • 150ml creme fraiche

Method

  1. 1. In a small pan, add 100ml of olive oil and the sliced garlic and bring to frying temperature over medium heat. Stir occasionally to keep the garlic slices separate and so they cook evenly. Fry until very pale golden (don't overcook or they'll be bitter) then remove and drain on a paper towel.

    2. Slice the iceberg lettuce finely, chop the avocado into one-centimetre dice and arrange both on a shallow platter.

    3. Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Dress the prawns with a splash of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Fry in two batches for about three minutes each or until just cooked.

    4. Place the prawns on top of the lettuce, squeeze over some lemon juice and scatter over the pea shoots.

    5. In a small pan, add the anchovies and a little of their oil and mash over medium heat. Let them dissolve slightly, then add the creme fraiche and mix through briefly. Take off the heat and mix thoroughly.

    Spoon the dressing over the prawns, scatter over the crisp garlic and serve.

     

    Tip Cooking the garlic slices by starting them in cold oil helps them to cook evenly and slowly; burnt or bitter garlic will ruin the dish.

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Karen MartiniKaren Martini is a Melbourne-based chef, restaurateur, author and television presenter. She has a regular column in Good Weekend.

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