About the Recipe
Wild BC Spot Prawns are one of the jewels of the BC Coast, and one of our favourite and prized delicacies.
The season is short for the commercial fishery, usually starting in mid to late May and running into June. As a chef there's nothing quite as special as our fishers knocking on the back door with live and vibrant spot prawns just caught from the few and select day boat fisheries around the coast.
The great thing about Wild BC Spot Prawns is that they are available frozen at sea all year long, our fishers freeze them in tubs in seawater to preserve and highlight the incredible texture and versatility of these beauties.
This recipe is designed to highlight 3 of my favourite ways to showcase one of my most prized gems of the Pacific Ocean.
Ingredients
#1 Ceviche:
1/2 lb or 4-6 piece per person diced ultra-fresh BC Spot Prawns
1/2 cup finely diced cucumber, skin on, seeds out
1/2 cup finely diced yellow bell peppers, no seeds or white flesh
1/8 cup finely diced red onion or shallots
2 tbsp chopped chives or green onions
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tbsp diced jalapenos (1 tbsp chili flakes are a good substitute)
juice of 3 limes (lemon works)
3 tbsp spoons olive oil
2 tbsp coconut milk, full fat (optional)
#2 Poached Spot Prawns
½ lb Spot Prawns
Cocktail Sauce:
1 cup ketchup
2 tbsp prepared horseradish
The juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
2 tbsp sliced sliced chives
—adjust with additional salt if need be
#3 Spot Prawns, Bacon Wrapped
½ lb spot prawns
20 slices very thing double smoked bacon
2 tbsp butter
½ lemon
Herb Mayo:
1 cup mayonnaise
½ lemon
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped dill, stems removed and finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped green onion, finely sliced
2 tbsp chopped chives, finely sliced
2 tbsp sliced Italian parsley, finley sliced
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
—adjust with more salt and lemon if need be
Preparation
#1 Ceviche
Mix all the ingredients together, marinade for 10 minutes, taste, adjust seasoning with sea salt and pepper and lime juice.
Serve family style in the middle of the table in large bowls with crushed avocado seasoned with sea salt and cracked black pepper, and lemon or lime juice. This is ‘guacamole’.
Serve with crispy wontons, corn chips or your favourite crispy cracker or toasted baguette.
#2 Poached Spot Prawns
First, make sure your prawns are completely thawed or very very fresh.
In a simmering pot of salted water, drop the prawns in a stir for 30 seconds.
Immediately remove the prawns and cool in an ice bath.
After cooling, remove the shells and serve with your favourite cocktail sauce or herb mayonnaise.
Cocktail Sauce:
Blend everything together in a bowl with a whisk, a Robot Coupe or Vita Mix.
#3 Spot Prawns, Bacon Wrapped
First, make sure your prawns are completely thawed or very very fresh.
Remove all of the shell except the tail (something to hold in your hand when eating ;)
Ask your butcher for some very thin shaved/sliced bacon (it has to be very thin or the prawns will overcook before the bacon is crispy if the bacon is too thick).
Wrap the prawns except for the tail/shell.
In a preheated fry pan, with a few tablespoons of olive oil, sear the prawns until the bacon is crispy and the prawns are not overcooked, approximately 2-3 minutes.
Add a knob of soft butter and a squeeze of lemon in the pan, swirl to incorporate and serve immediately. Serve by themselves or with a fresh herb mayonnaise.
Herb Mayo:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl to incorporate or blend together in a Vita Mix or Robot Coupe.
Notes from Ned Bell:
Most importantly choose sustainable seafood, that is recognized by the Ocean Wise program. BC Spot Prawns are fantastic for lightly pickled Ceviche, Poached for Cocktail and Bacon Wrapped for a tasty snack. Their firm bright meaty texture acts as a sponge for the sweet, sour & salty marinade of a ceviche, perfect for a cocktail sauce or wrapped in bacon and roasted from something salty and caramelized.