Coconut King Prawns
This is such a pretty dish, with the pink of the prawns in contrast to the white of the coconut. Make it with fresh grated coconut if you have the time, otherwise desiccated is fine. You can enjoy this as a simple yet exotic starter or make it more of a main meal by serving with rice and a salsa. You will need 10 wooden skewers.
300g (10½oz) peeled raw kingprawns, tails left on
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
¼ hot red chilli (ideally Scotch Bonnet), deseeded and finely chopped
50g (1¾oz) freshly grated coconut or unsweetened desiccated coconut
black pepper
lime wedges, to serve (optional)
Put the prawns in a shallow non-reactive dish and mix with
the lime zest and juice and the chilli. Cover and leave to marinate
in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Meanwhile, soak the wooden skewers
in cold water for at least 30 minutes, to help prevent them from
burning, and line a baking sheet with foil.
Heat the grill to its highest setting. Spread the coconut on a
plate and mix it with plenty of black pepper. Take the prawns out
of the marinade and thread them on to the skewers (about 4 prawns
per skewer). Coat the prawns in coconut on one side. Put them,
coconut-side up, on the baking sheet and cook under the grill for
1½–2 minutes, until the coconut is starting to brown in parts.
Coat the other side of the prawn skewers in the coconut mixture
and grill on this side, again until the coconut is starting to brown
slightly. The prawns will be pink when they’re cooked. Serve with
lime wedges, if liked.
