Prawns

King prawns with Pernod, tarragon and feta

Name: King prawns with Pernod, tarragon and feta
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 600g king prawns, shell removed, deveined, heads and tails intact; 1 tbs thyme leaves; 1 large garlic clove, crushed; Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon; 130ml olive oil; 120g feta, broken into 1.5cm chunks; ½ tsp dried chilli flakes; 1 tsp dried oregano; 4 baby fennel (or 1 large fennel), trimmed and cut lengthways into 5mm slices; 180ml Pernod; 150ml vegetable stock; 70g unsalted butter; 20g tarragon, roughly chopped; ½ tsp sumac to serve

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King prawns with pernod, tarragon and feta

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by delicious. team

delicious. team

May 20, 2017

"Prawns and feta is a classic combination,” says chef Yotam Ottolenghi. Recipe from Nopi by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully, Ebury Press.

600g king prawns, shell removed, deveined, heads and tails intact
1 tbs thyme leaves
1 large garlic clove, crushed
Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
130ml olive oil
120g feta, broken into 1.5cm chunks
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
4 baby fennel (or 1 large fennel), trimmed and cut lengthways into 5mm slices
180ml Pernod
150ml vegetable stock
70g unsalted butter
20g tarragon, roughly chopped
½ tsp sumac to serve

Method

1.

Place the prawns in a bowl with the thyme, garlic, lemon zest and 70ml oil. Mix to coat, cover and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least an hour or, preferably, overnight.
2.

Place feta in a bowl with 1 tbs oil. Sprinkle over chilli flakes and oregano. Stir gently, cover and keep in fridge until ready to use.
3.

Heat the remaining 2 tbs oil in a large frypan on high heat. Add the prawns and sear for 1-2 minutes, turning once or twice, until they are no longer translucent. Remove from pan and set aside. Add fennel to the pan and fry 6-7 minutes, stirring from time to time, until it starts to soften and gain colour. Add the Pernod and cook for 1 minute, to reduce by half, then pour in the stock.
4.

Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by two-thirds and you have about 120ml of liquid left in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, tarragon and 1/3 tsp salt. Stir to melt the butter, add the prawns, then stir for 2 minutes, until you get a smooth and glossy sauce and the prawns are just cooked through.
5.

Divide prawns and fennel between four plates, bowls or warmed copper pans, and top with the chunks of marinated feta. Serve at once, with a sprinkle of sumac.