Something for the weekend!
Dublin Bay Prawns Pil Pil with Dipping Toasts
I remember the first time that I ever had prawns pil pil, it was in the famous Boqueria market in Barcelona. I sat at the counter of one of the tapas bars and watched how they fired up the plump fresh prawns with fiery chillies, aromatic garlic and smoky paprika. They were out of this world… They served them with very thinly sliced sourdough toasts that were brushed with olive oil. I scooped the prawns pil pil onto the toasts to create the perfect bite! It is one of the easiest and fastest starters that I know.
SERVES 6
100ml olive oil
Garlic cloves, sliced
1 Teaspoon dried chilli flakes
30 Raw Dublin Bay prawns (langoustines), peeled and deveined but tails left intact
2 Teaspoons smoked paprika
1 Tablespoon dry sherry
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tablespoon chopped flat-leaf
Parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black
Pepper
Sourdough toasts, to serve
Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil, followed by the garlic and chilli flakes. Cook for 2 minutes.
Toss in the Dublin Bay prawns, followed by the smoked paprika, dry sherry and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Just before you take the pan off the heat, toss in the parsley. Serve with sourdough toasts for scooping up all the juices.
Lemon, Harissa & Olive Spatchcock Chicken with Bulgar Wheat, Cucumber & Dill
SERVES 6
Spatchcock chicken is a really great way to get lots of flavours right into the chicken. You can do it yourself or otherwise ask your butcher to do it for you. The combination of the zesty lemons, sweet and smoky harissa and earthy olive is so Mediterranean. I also use this recipe with meaty fish, like hake or cod. The bulgar wheat is so refreshing and works perfectly alongside the chicken.
1 Whole organic or free-range chicken, about 1.4kg
2 Preserved lemons, chopped
6 Garlic cloves, smashed
50g Pitted black olives, chopped
1 Tablespoon harissa
100ml Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bulgar Wheat Salad
100g Bulgar wheat
100ml Boiling water
1 Cucumber, diced
4 Spring onions, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 Tablespoons chopped dill
1 Tablespoon chopped mint
100ml Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
3 Garlic cloves, crushed
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
To spatchcock the chicken, place it breast-side down, with the legs towards you. Using sturdy scissors, cut along either side of the backbone to remove it, cutting through the rib bones as you go. Open the chicken out and turn it over. Flatten the breastbone with the heel of your hand so that the meat is all one thickness. You can ask your butcher to do this for you if you prefer. Add the preserved lemons, garlic, olives, harissa and olive oil to a bowl and mix together well.
Place the spatchcocked chicken in a roasting tray and rub the preserved lemon and harissa mixture all over the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes or until cooked through. To check if the chicken is cooked, insert a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh – the juices should run clear.
While the chicken is roasting, prepare the bulgar wheat salad. Place the bulgar in a heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling water to cover. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave to soak for about 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Fluff up with a fork, then stir in the cucumber, spring onions and herbs. Whisk the oil, lemon juice and garlic together in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the dressing to the bulgar wheat salad and toss to coat. Transfer the roast spatchcocked chicken to the centre of a large, warmed platter and spoon the bulgar wheat salad around the chicken to serve.
Clodagh's Suppers: Suppers to celebrate the seasons by Clodagh McKenna is published by Kyle Books www.kylebooks.co.uk Photography © Dora Kazmierak
