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Prawns cooked with raki
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 500g raw headless prawns
- 60ml olive oil
- 125ml rakı
- pul biber (see recipe note), for sprinkling
- lemon wedges, to serve
- green salad, to serve
- bread, to serve
Method
Pul biber is a crushed red powder made from dried aleppo peppers. It is mild to medium in heat. The Turkish love sprinkling it over just about anything. If you can’t find it in Middle Eastern grocery stores, use chilli flakes.
Peel and devein the prawns, leaving the tails intact. Place in a bowl, toss with the oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. Set aside.
Fire up your barbecue to a medium heat. Warm the rakı in a small saucepan, without boiling it. Cook the prawns on the barbecue for 1-2 minutes on each side,
or until just pink. Be careful not to overcook, as they will keep cooking when you take them off.
Arrange the prawns on a serving plate. Pour the warm rakı over and light the alcohol, using a twist of paper or a lighter – don’t use matches because they will spoil the flavour. Serve the prawns hot, sprinkled with pul biber, with lemon wedges, salad and your favourite bread on the side.
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