Prawns Nacional Recipe
- 2 pounds prawns or jumbo shrimp – peeled, deveined and butterflied
- 2 tablespoons grill seasoning, such as McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 peri-peri or other hot chile pepper, such as jalapenos, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 (12 ounce) bottle dark stout beer, such as Guinness brand
- 1 bay leaf, dried or fresh
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, a palmful
- Coat the prawns with the grill seasoning. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. When the olive oil is hot, place about half the prawns in the skillet in a single layer and quickly sear them, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate and reserve. Repeat with the remaining prawns.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, then add the chile pepper and the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the beer and bay leaf. Boil over high heat to reduce the liquid by half.
- Return the prawns to the skillet with the sauce and cook, turning once, until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and remove the bay leaf. Stir in the butter and cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with the cilantro and serve.
