Name: Karen Martini's barbecued prawns with chermoula
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 20 medium-large green prawns; 30ml extra virgin olive oil

Grilled prawns with chermoula.William Meppem

easyTime:<30 minsServes:4-6

This chermoula is based on a recipe I picked up in Morocco. There’s no single way to make this North African paste – there are many variants incorporating different ingredients and spices. It’s fabulously versatile:use it as a marinade,finishing sauce or condiment. Here,dressing the piping-hot prawns in the chermoula releases all its aromatic flavour while being gentle enough to preserve all its bright,herby freshness.

Ingredients

20 medium-large green prawns
30ml extra virgin olive oil

For the chermoula

½ bunch coriander,leaves and fine stems picked and roughly chopped
2 long red chillies,de-seeded and finely diced
2 small garlic cloves,finely grated
20g turmeric,peeled and finely grated (or 1 tsp ground turmeric)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt flakes
1 tsp ground black pepper
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp water
juice of 1 lemon

Method

Step1
Preheat the barbecue or a grill pan on high.
Step2
Combine all the chermoula ingredients – except the lemon juice – in a medium bowl and mix well.
Step3
Peel the middle section of the prawns,leaving the tails and the heads intact,then devein. (Make a small incision at the back of the head and gently pull the vein through.)
Step4
Coat the prawns with the oil,then season. Grill for about 2 minutes each side until just cooked.
Step5
Meanwhile,stir the lemon juice through the chermoula.
Step6
Pile the prawns onto a serving platter,pour over the chermoula,and serve. Serve this dish as a starter with soft flatbread to mop up the juices,or pair it with hot cous cous for a more substantial offering.