Gratin of Prawns

What can I say about this but...Oh. My. Gosh.

This is very delicious and rather fattening and over-the-top but we'll ignore that part.  I'll be the first to admit that a "gratin of prawns" doesn't actually sound that appetising (well it doesn't to me anyhow) but this was seriously good food and Mr M was so impressed he didn't think it tasted like something you'd make at home - I am taking that as a compliment by the way.

It was probably a bit too decadent for an after work dinner but who cares? We all deserve a bit of luxury sometimes don't we?  I'll definitely make this again and to me, it's perfect Friday night food (does anyone know what I mean by that?!).

This recipe was adapted from a Delia recipe and serves two people.

Gratin of Prawns

Ingredients

200g cooked and peel tiger prawns (or large king prawns)

1 large fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

90g gruyere, grated

juice of 1 lime

few drops of Tabasco sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large red onion, peeled and finely sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

275ml double cream

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Put the prawns into a bowl and add the lime juice and Tabasco. Mix them well to coat them and leave them to marinate for around 15 minutes.

Turn the grill on to its highest setting.  Heat the oil in a frying pan and lightly cook the onions for around three minutes.  Add the garlic and chillies and cook for a further three minutes before dividing the mixture between two dishes.  

Drain the prawns and divide these between the two dishes and give the prawns and onion mixture a good sprinkling of salt and black pepper.  Pour the cream over and scatter the grated cheese on top.

Put the dishes onto a baking sheet and place under the grill for around 5-6 minutes to heat through thoroughly until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Delia originally suggested using fontina cheese but I cannot find this anywhere so had to substitute but really any good, melty cheese would do. I think you could also use taleggio or monterey jack if you could find any.  Her original recipe also used more onion and chilli but I honestly didn't feel it needed it.

I served this with some good quality crusty bread, a nice green leafy salad and some parmentier potatoes.

If you try this, let me know how you get on.

love & kisses

Mrs M x