Griddled prawns (gambas a la plancha)

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 5 mins

'A la plancha' is more of a technique than a recipe - you can cook anything this way, from pork chops, to langoustines, to asparagus.

1 heaped tbsp rock salt

8 large raw prawns in their shells

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lemon wedge

Cooking 'a la plancha' at home requires an extremely hot pan, as hot as it can get.

Place a large heavy-based frying pan over a high heat.

While the pan is heating up sprinkle the rock salt over the surface.

When the pan is searing hot, place the prawns on top of the salt.

Mix the garlic, parsley and olive oil into a bowl.

After 2 minutes, drizzle the prawns with the garlic and parsley oil and turn them over. Because the pan is so hot the oil will immediately smoke a lot, but this will give the distinctive aroma of the plancha style of cooking.

Cook the prawns for another minute or two, depending on the size.

If you like, squeeze over some lemon juice before transferring to a plate.

Serves
2

Preparation Time
5 minutes

Cooking Time
5 minutes

Main ingredients
Shellfish

Recipe Type
Starters, Dinner, Easy, Quick Meals, Tapas

Level of Difficulty
Easy

When cooking a scallop, razor clam or simply a lamb cutlet 'a la plancha', the seasoning would be on the food, not on the pan, allowing the ingredient to caramelize properly.