This is one of the nicest dishes I have ever eaten. But, I`ll declare a bias: I love, love, love prawns, I adore leeks, and I`d never cooked fennel before.
Three good reasons then, to cook Domini Kemp`s Prawn and Leek Fricasée.
I also had a fourth good reason. Home after the parkrun on Saturday, I was ravenous. I hadn`t eaten breakfast, so the I was in imminent danger of chomping down the Chook House if I didn`t load up on carbs. And fast. This would prove to be the perfect recovery food
.Mind you, my miserable three mile run didn`t merit eating the whole lot. It`s meant to feed four to six people after all, but I`ll confess to going for seconds and to restraining myself from going for round three. It`s highly addictive. Oh, and the fennel adds a nice crunchy texture to it all.
Another bonus? Domini`s recipe is quick, easy and oh so interesting. She bills it as perfect for the reluctant cook. She`s right. And she packs a lot of great flavours in there. It`s definitely a top favourite of mine among all of Kemp`s recipes. And you`ve probably realised by now, that I am a bit of a Kemp nut.(When on earth are they going to give that woman a TV series?)
Anyway, here it is …
Prawn and Leek Fricasée
- 60ml olive oil
- 3 leeks, sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 2 fennel bulbs, sliced
- 1 large glass of wine
- Good pinch saffron
- Good pinch chilli flakes
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 100ml cream
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 x 340g pack of frozen prawns
- 1 punnet cherry tomatoes (approx 300g)
- Bunch parsley, chopped
Method:
This serves four to six. You can use cooked or raw frozen prawns, just adjust the cooking time. Heat the olive oil in a decent- sized saucepan and sweat the leeks until wilted down and soft. Season well. Add the garlic and fennel. Then add the wine, saffron and chilli. Cover with a lid and cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the Dijon mustard, cream, lemon zest and juice, along with the prawns and tomatoes. Gently simmer this for about 10 minutes, until it has got rather watery and then starts to reduce and thicken up.
Taste and season. When you are happy with the flavour and consistency, spoon into bowls and serve with parsley and cooked rice or mash.
redhenrun 