serves
4-5
prep
20 minutes
cook
5 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4-5
people
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
5
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
Kombu butter
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 40 g (1½ oz) shio kombu, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1½ tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- ½ bunch coriander (cilantro) stems, finely chopped
- 2 lemongrass stems, pale part only, finely chopped
- 1 small handful of flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves, finely chopped
The rest
- 10 large raw king prawns (shrimp), split in half lengthways, digestive tract removed
- mixed chopped herbs from above, to garnish
- 2½ tbsp shellfish oil (see below)
- lime wedges, to serve
Shellfish oil
- 2 litres (70 fl oz/8 cups) grapeseed oil
- 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) raw prawn (shrimp) shells
- 15 garlic cloves
- 10 star anise
- 200 g (7 oz) tomato paste (concentrated purée)
The shellfish oil will take 3 hours to cook and prepare.
Shellfish oil standing time 1 hour
Instructions
Put the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip at a high speed for 10 minutes, or until it becomes pale and aerated. Reserve a big pinch of each of the chopped herbs, which will be used to garnish. Turn the mixer down to its lowest speed and add the remaining ingredients one at a time, mixing after each addition.
Preheat the oven to 250°C (500°F/Gas 9). Lay the prawns on a baking tray, shell side down. Season with salt and put in the oven for 2½ minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and spoon a thick layer of kombu butter on each prawn. Bake for another 2½ minutes. To serve, top each prawn with some chopped herbs and drizzle with shellfish oil. Serve with lime wedges.
To make shellfish oil
Makes about 1.5 litres (52 fl oz/6 cups)
Put a heavy wide-based saucepan over a high heat. When hot, add 4 tablespons of the oil. When the oil starts to smoke, add the prawn shells. Do not stir for at least 2 minutes (if you stir them straight away, a lot of the heat will be lost and the shells will start to stew rather than caramelise).
After 2 minutes you will start to smell that really appetising aroma of roasted prawns and you can stir the mix to further caramelise the shells. After about 5 minutes, the shells should have a nice deep red colour. Add the garlic and star anise, and stir in the tomato paste. Turn the heat down to medium.
Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the rest of the oil and turn the heat down to the lowest it can go. Simmer for 3 hours, remembering to scrape the bottom of the pan often, as the mixture will catch.
Strain everything through a fine sieve and leave the liquid to settle for 1 hour. All the sediment will sink to the bottom during this time. Strain the liquid a second time and carefully decant the mixture into a sterilised jar. Stop pouring when you reach the sediment. This sediment (which I call ‘shellfish essence’) can be used as a base for a shellfish sauce or dressing. You can store the shellfish oil in the fridge, covered, for up to 6 months.
Recipe and image from Mr Hong by Dan Hong (Murdoch Books) $49.99 available now.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
