Prawns With Almond Sauce Recipes

KING PRAWNS IN SAFFRON ALMOND SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the sauce. Tip the cashews and almonds into a saucepan and just cover with cold water. Boil gently for 20 minutes until slightly softened. Tip the nuts and water into a food processor and blend.
• Heat the ghee or butter in a heavy saucepan, add the bay leaf, cardamoms and onion and fry for 8-10 minutes until golden. Add the ginger and chilli and fry for a minute until fragrant. Add the turmeric and fry until the onion turns yellow, which should take another minute. Now stir in the nut purée and cook the paste carefully, stirring regularly until yellow. Pour in 150ml of the fish stock and simmer for 2-3 minutes. As the sauce turns glossy, add the infused saffron, sugar and cream, sprinkle in the garam masala and season with salt. Simmer for a few more minutes. The sauce should be too thick to pour, but thin enough to spoon, so you may need to dilute it with more fish stock. (The sauce can be made up to an hour ahead.)
• Tip the prawns into a bowl, and mix in a sprinkling of salt and all the ingredients for the first marinade. If this looks dry, add a drop of water. Set aside for 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a large pan and sear the prawns for 20 seconds so they curl up. Remove and set aside to cool.
• Mix ingredients together for the second marinade, toss prawns in it (they can be left for up to 1 hour).
• Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Pierce a long wooden skewer through the tail of each prawn and thread it through to the tip of the head. Prop the skewers on a roasting tray and roast for 6-8 minutes until lightly charred. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce and add more stock if it is too thick. Serve the prawns on a large plate in a pool of sauce for people to help themselves, with the extra sauce and pilau rice in bowls.

PRAWNS WITH ALMOND SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the dried chili in a heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water to cover.
• Leave to soak for 30 minutes until softened.
• Drain, remove the stalk, then slit the chili and scrape out the seeds with a small sharp knife.
• Chop the flesh roughly and set it aside.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic until soft.
• Cut a cross in the base of each tomato.
• Place them in a heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water to cover.
• After 3 minutes, lift the tomatoes out on a slotted spoon and plunge them into a bowl of cold water, drain.
• The skins will have begun to peel back.
• Skin the tomatoes completely, then cut them in half and scoop out the seeds.
• Chop the flesh into 1/2 inch cubes and add it to the onion mixture, with the chopped chilli.
• Stir in the ground cumin and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Tip the mixture into a food processor or blender.
• Add the stock and process on high speed until smooth.
• Pour the mixture into a large saucepan, add the ground almonds and stir over a low heat 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir in the creme fraiche until it has been incorporated completely.
• Squeeze the juice from the lime and stir it into the sauce.
• Season with salt to taste, then increase the heat and bring the sauce to simmering point.
• Add the prawns and heat for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the size, until warmed through.
• Serve on a bed of rice and offer warm tortillas separately.

CREAMY SALMON, PRAWN & ALMOND CURRY

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion for 8-10 mins until starting to soften, then stir in the garlic and cook for 1 min. Add the peppers, spices, tomato purée and a splash of water. Cook for 1-2 mins until the peppers soften.
• Add the almonds, stock cube and 500ml water to the pan, season and simmer for 10 mins. Stir in the cream. Cook the beans in a small pan of boiling water for 2 mins until just tender, then drain.
• When you're ready to eat, add the salmon to the sauce, simmer gently for 2-3 mins until the fish turns opaque, then add the prawns and cook for a further 1 min until they turn pink. Check the salmon is cooked through (it should easily flake when gently pressed with a knife). Remove from the heat and add a little lime juice. Serve scattered with the coriander, the beans with the rice and the lime wedges for squeezing over.

RICK'S SHRIMP IN GREEN ALMOND SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the almonds on a small rimmed baking sheet, and toast until golden (but not browned), and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Cool, and set aside. Reserve a scant 1/4 cup for garnish.
• In a saucepan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium heat; add onion, garlic, and chiles. Cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to the jar of a blender. Set the saucepan aside. Add the almonds, tomatillos, radish leaves, 1/2 cup cilantro, parsley, and 1 cup stock. Blend until smooth.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to the saucepan, and place over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the puree. Cook, stirring, until mixture darkens slightly and thickens considerably, about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 cups stock, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes. Working in batches, return sauce to the jar of a blender, and puree until very smooth, keeping blender cap covered with a clean kitchen towel to avoid splattering. Return to saucepan, and season with salt.
• Just before serving, turn oven on to lowest setting. Season shrimp generously with salt, tossing to coat evenly. In a large heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add half the shrimp in a single layer. Cook until milky white underneath, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn, and cook 1 minute more; do not overcook. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cilantro, and toss to combine. Transfer to a plate, and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining shrimp and cilantro, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.
• Roughly chop reserved almonds. Ladle a portion of the sauce onto each of six warm dinner plates. Arrange shrimp over sauce, and garnish with a few leaves of parsley and a sprinkling of reserved almonds. Serve immediately.