Cookbook Challenge: Week 3, Hor d’oeuvres
Recipe: Coconut Prawns
From Australian Women’s Weekly – Food We Love
The weeks are going past so quickly – we’re on to Week 3 of the Cookbook Challenge already! For this week’s theme, hor d’oeuvres, I made coconut prawns.
There is a little blurb about this recipe in the cookbook that says, “My friends are always impressed with these prawns, and the best part is that they’re easy and fast to prepare.” Now, I don’t know what crazy world the author of that blurb comes from, but I don’t consider a recipe where you have to peel and devein a kilo of prawns “fast to prepare”! The rest was easy though, so I will give them that.
Whenever I peel prawns, I like to leave the tails on. I think it looks nicer, plus I like to eat the tails – they’re like a crunchy prawn chip!
The prawns smelt so good when I took them out of the oven. And they were delicious! The prawns were lovely with the fragrant toasted coconut, and a hint of coriander and chilli. If I was served these at a party, I would be very happy indeed.
The book suggested serving them with sweet chilli sauce, but since I am not a sweet chilli sauce fan, we ate them with homemade chilli sauce that had some added chopped coriander. Alastair, Bro and I scoffed these so quickly once the photos were taken. It was definitely worth peeling all those prawns!
See previous Cookbook Challenge posts here.
Update: See My Food Trail for a round up of posts for this week.
Coconut prawns
Adapted from Australian Women’s Weekly – Food We Love
24 uncooked medium prawns (1 kg)
1/4 cup (35g) plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1 & 1/2 cups (115g) shredded coconut
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
1 small chilli, finely chopped
24 short bamboo skewers
Chilli sauce to serve
Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly oil two oven trays or line with baking paper.
Mix together the shredded coconut, coriander and chilli in a bowl. In separate bowls, place the seasoned flour and beaten egg.
Shell and devein prawns (leave the tails on if you like). Coat the prawns in flour, shaking away the excess, then dip into the egg and then finally the coconut mixture.
Thread one prawn on to each skewer. Place in a single layer on to the baking trays. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the prawns are cooked.
Serve with your desired chilli sauce.
Conor @ HoldtheBeef
December 7, 2009 @ 1:21 am
Oh man I'd be scoffing them quickly too, they look amazing.
It's always worth it, but I hate peeling piles of prawns. It's tasks like that that make me wish I had a magical kitchenhand. In fact I'd be happy with a non-magical kitchenhand too 🙂
imasugarjunkie
December 7, 2009 @ 9:41 am
these look fantastic! well done!
mademoiselle délicieuse
December 7, 2009 @ 10:33 am
I agree, these are easy once you get past the peeling phase! I love how they're cooked in the oven yet look so crispy because I have a fear of deep-frying =p
Rilsta @ My Food Trail
December 7, 2009 @ 3:00 pm
These look sooooo good! I can imagine how delicously crunchy they must be! I think peeled prawns look much more like prawns when the tails are left on, though I don't know how you can eat the tails with the shell on! I will always be the loser struggling to peel the shell off "soft shell" prawns where the shell is meant to be eaten! Hehe! 🙂
Ange
December 7, 2009 @ 6:34 pm
mmmm, my mouth is watering, I think with the large quantity I would cheat & bought ready peeled prawns!
Agnes
December 7, 2009 @ 8:55 pm
Conor: Oh, a magical kitchenhand! I'm putting that on my xmas list. 😉
imasugarjunkie: thanks! I was pleased with how they turned out.
mademoiselle: You're not the only one with a fear of deep frying – I try and avoid it whenever possible as well!
Rilsta: Hehee, the tail shells are so tasty, there's so much flavour in them.
Ange: For some reason I always buy whole prawns. I think I'm a sucker for punishment!
chitchatchomp@yahoo.com.au
December 7, 2009 @ 9:14 pm
Yummo!! These look absolutely fantastic, and I'm definitely going to have to give them a try. I'm with you though, I too love eating the tails..mmmm crunchy. Leigh
Kat (Spatula, Spoon and Saturday)
December 7, 2009 @ 9:43 pm
peeled prawns just don't taste the same, do they? these look fabulous! i really want to try them but i really don't want to peel that many prawns either!
OohLookBel
December 8, 2009 @ 11:02 am
Your prawns look like the ones served at classy restaurants – very nice! I also like that they are baked in the oven, so there's less mess than frying.
Adrian @ Food Rehab
December 8, 2009 @ 8:52 pm
haha! Yep, I bet the crew was staring and licking their lips at with anticipation as the photos were being taken.
These look great- I would've been at them as soon as they were cooked. Keep me away!
Agnes
December 8, 2009 @ 9:23 pm
Leigh: Hooray, another vote for eating the tails! They're surprisingly good, aren't they?
Kat: Haha, you could always buy prepeeled prawns! Or get a kitchen slave to peel them for you?
Belle: I always try and avoid deep frying whenever possible, so I liked that this recipe involved baking instead to!
Adrian: As soon as I took them out of the oven, my husband wandered over to tell me how good they smelt. I had to let him eat one before I managed to take any photos!
Kat (Spatula, Spoon and Saturday)
December 8, 2009 @ 10:52 pm
unfortunately my kitchen slave draws a line at peeling prawns. its a pet peeve of his. bum.