Heat olive oil, garlic and chilli on a plancha or cast iron pan over the coals, add shell-on prawns and cook 2 to 3 minutes a side until pink. Finish with sherry, parsley and lemon. Serve with bread for the oil.
Method
Heat the oil and garlic
Set a plancha or heavy pan over the coals and warm the oil with the garlic and chilli until the garlic is fragrant and just turning gold. Do not let it brown or it goes bitter.
Add the prawns
Tip in the prawns and cook two to three minutes, turning, until they are pink and the shells have coloured. The shells carry a lot of flavour into the oil.
Deglaze with sherry
Splash in the sherry and let it bubble for a few seconds, scraping up anything stuck. It lifts the whole dish.
Finish and serve
Off the heat, scatter parsley and squeeze in lemon. Serve in the pan with plenty of bread to mop the garlic oil, which is the best part.
Notes worth knowing
- Shell-on prawns give far more flavour to the oil. Peel them at the table.
- Doing this on a plancha over charcoal adds a smoky note you cannot get on the hob.
- Head-on prawns are even better; the heads hold the most flavour.
Common questions
Why cook prawns in the shell?
The shells protect the delicate flesh and release a great deal of flavour into the oil. Peeled prawns cook faster but the dish loses depth.
Can I do this without a plancha?
Any heavy cast iron pan set over the coals works. You need a solid surface to hold the oil, so a bare grate will not do.
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