This was another take for one of my favourite dish this year, adapted as an entree for my family Christmas dinner. Scarlet prawns were super sweet packed with flavours, the risotto the perfect way to clean up any leftover coral sauce and parsley oil for just that touch of freshness.
Difficulty: Medium
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients
Scarlet Prawn
- 6 jumbo scarlet prawns
- 2 tbsp kombu dashi*
- 2 tbsp light soya sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp sake
- 2 tbsp oil
Coral Sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp sake
- 2 tbsp kombu dashi*
- 4 tbsp chicken stock
- 4 heaped tbsp thick cream
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Squid Ink Risotto
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 1.5 cups risotto rice
- 3 cups fish stock
- 2 sachet squid ink
- salt
- pepper
Herb Oil
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
- salt
Garnish
- 6 parsley flower
* I've used the bottled ones from Japanese grocery. Kombu dashi is a stock made from dried sea kelp, it adds a umami flavour to any seafood dishes, or actually, any dishes.
Method
1. Blanch the parsley in hot water for 1 minute before putting it in an ice water bath. Dry thoroughly with kitchen towel. Add it to a spice blender with grapeseed oil and salt to taste, blitz it until it's fully blended. Pass it through a filter paper to retain the oil only. Set aside.
2. Prepare the prawns by carefully removing all the legs, leaving the whole prawn with its shell on top intact.
3. Make the marinade by mixing the light soya sauce, kombu dashi, sake and mirin (2 tbsp each) in a glass bowl. Put the prawns in making sure it's covered well by the marinade and set aside.
4. Start the risotto by sautéing the chopped shallot in a cast iron pan over medium heat until soft and fragrant. Add the rice and mix well for a few minute until golden. Add the white wine and stir to combine and let the liquid to absorb slowly. Add the squid ink and a ladle of the hot fish stock. Mix the rice well to incorporate with the stock and cook over medium/low heat until all the liquid had been fully absorbed. Add another ladle of the hot stock and repeat the process until the rice is cooked with just a slightly bite in the middle. Add more liquid if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning if required, take it off the heat and keep warm with a lid on.
5. Melt 2 tbsp of oil on medium heat, place the prawns on its belly upright inside the pan. Add in the marinade, and the additional mirin, sake, and kombu dashi, close the lid and cook for about 7 minutes or until the prawns are cooked through.
6. Take the prawns out carefully and set aside. Add in the chicken stock to loosen the sauce, and stir in the cream and the tomato paste until fully mixed. Taste and make final adjustments to seasoning, finish with the lemon juice and take it off the heat. Enjoy!
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