Grilled Prawns

Recipe: Grilled Prawn Recipe »

Grilled prawns or shrimp are one of the best things about summer (or early Autumn technically!). Try these restaurant quality chef's recipe for grilled prawns with a nduja butter sauce on top! This is a quick and easy dinner or lunch seafood recipe and they take about 6 minutes on the grill to cook.

Grilled prawns are delicious but how about them drizzled with nduja butter? Honestly just this one ingredient this takes regular grilled prawns to another level. And this tastes like it came from a restaurant because it did! I got this recipe comes from Chef Steve Scott of The Del in Newcastle and these prawns are one of the Plate Dates during Newcastle Food Month and for $30 you get three of these enormous prawns and a glass of wine. And Steve was kind enough to share this simple but tasty recipe with me.

It's the last week before Daylight savings comes to an end and that means there's just enough time to make these. And if you're in the Northern Hemisphere that means that there's plenty of time for you to try these delicious grilled prawns/shrimp drizzled with an nduja compound butter.

Nduja is a spicy, spreadable paste made from cured pork and peppers, traditionally from Italy’s Calabria region. Nduja is made with lean and fat pork trimmings and sun-dried Calabrian chilli peppers. It's like an Italian cousin of chorizo but it is softer and spicier. Nduja is actually probably closer to Spanish sobrasada (this is more paprika based).

6 Tips For Grilling Prawns

1 - In this recipe I'll show you the best way to grill seafood. This grilled prawn recipe can be done on the barbecue or grill (indoor grill is fine).

2 - The prawns that they use at The Del are U6 prawns that are extra, extra large or jumbo prawns. It can be hard to find these fresh and I could only find them frozen (unless I wanted to pre-order a big box!). U6 means that there are 6 or less prawns per pound or less than 13 prawns per kilo although the ones I bought were around 100g/3.5ozs each so they were really big. You can use any green prawn but larger ones are better for presentation.

3 - We keep the head and the tail on for these prawns for presentation. Also some people love eating prawn heads!

4 - To devein or not to devein? It's up to you! Some don't like the taste of this while it doesn't bother other people. However with extra, extra large prawns it's quick and easy to remove the back vein. Just cut down the back of the prawn with a sharp, paring knife and remove that vein!

5 - You can buy nduja from Italian delis or Italian grocers. It should be in the refrigerated section near the salamis. If you have ever seen this at the deli and wondered what to do with nduja it's great on pasta and on breads or pizzas too.

6 - You can use metal or bamboo skewers for these nduja butter prawns. As U6 prawns are very large you want to use thicker skewers.

Other Grilled Seafood Recipes You Might Like: These Miso Butter Grilled Scallops are also from Ape restaurant and are so simple and easy and can also be done on the grill at the same time. This Korean Gochujang Glazed Grilled Salmon is a favourite for an easy dinner. If nduja isn't your thing then try these Barbecued Spiced Butter Prawns or these classic Venetian Style Scallops that I served for Christmas dinner!

Grilled Prawn Recipe

Adapted from Chef Steve Scott

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 6 minutes

• 125g/4ozs unsalted butter, room temperature
• 60g/2ozs Nduja
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 12 x U6 size green prawns (around 1.2kg/2.6lb)

Step 1 - In a food processor blitz together nduja and butter, then add in salt and lemon juice and blitz again until smooth. This compound butter can be chilled in the fridge for later use or it can be used straight away.

Step 2 - Prep your prawns by removing the middle shell and leaving the tail and head intact, using a sharp paring knife split the back and remove the back vein.

Step 3 -Skewer prawns (I start at the head and then end the skewer at the tail) and they are ready to cook (if using wooden skewers be sure to soak them in cold water so they don't burn on your grill). Make sure your grill or bbq is very hot. Season prawns with sea salt and some good olive oil and put them on the hottest part of the grill, giving 2-3 minutes on each side, then set aside on your serving dish to rest.

Step 4 -Gently melt nduja butter in a separate sauce pan and when melted out spoon liberally over each prawn. Garnish with plenty of fresh chives and lemon wedges.

Sometimes when I eat out I ask the chef for the recipe especially if I know that it will be easy to recreate and these grilled prawns are no exception. Usually chef recipes can be complicated but these are simple with just a few ingredients.

I walked into a restaurant and saw the chef who I've known for a few years. I was thinking to myself as he walked towards me that it was a long time since I had seen him and was about to say, "Long time no see!"

Except he said to me first, "I like your dress!".

And I answered. "I know right!". Except in my mind I was answering to "Long time no see!" that I hadn't actually said out loud. So I must have just seemed like someone that was very conceited about my outfit. I tried to explain but I think that made it even weirder so I just sat down and chalked that up to an awkward interaction!

So tell me Dear Reader, do you always devein your prawns when you cook them? Do you ever have awkward interactions?