Flash-fried prawns with tomato, bay leaves and garlic

I just adore prawns, even though none come from my island home. I buy frozen green prawns for this, because unless you’re very close to the source, frozen does actually make a better uncooked product.

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 5 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 2 tomatoes, peeled (see Note), chopped
• 300 g peeled green prawns
• torn bread, to serve

The dish is designed to be part of a banquet or shared meal.

Instructions

Heat 60 ml of oil in a pan with bay leaves over high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until it just starts to colour. Stir in tomato and cook for 6 minutes or until it breaks down to a roughish sauce, adding 60 ml water or more if necessary; what you want is an oily, garlicky, tomatoey sauce to coat the prawns.

Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in a separate frying pan over high heat. Cook prawns for 30 seconds each side or until just starting to change colour. Pour in tomato sauce, tossing constantly, and cook for 5 minutes or until prawns have changed colour and are well coated. Serve hot with torn bread.

Note

• To peel tomatoes, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Cut a small cross in the skin at the base of each tomato,  then base in boiling water for 20 seconds. Refresh immediately in a bowl of iced water. Cool, then remove skins.

Photography by Alan Benson

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.