Fennel Spiced Prawns with Citrus Salad
- 12 jumbo prawns or shrimp, about 1/2 pound total, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon Fennel Spice Rub, recipe
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
- 1 blood orange
- 1/2 large grapefruit
- 2 naval or other large oranges
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large bunch watercress
- Sprinkle the fennel spice evenly over the flesh side of the prawns and let sit, covered and refrigerated, overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet with even curved edge over medium high heat until hot.
- Lay the prawns, flesh down, against the curved sides of the pan, tails up and heads toward the center of the pan.
- Press them down with spatula or rest a slightly smaller pan on top of the prawns as a weight, so they cook evenly and rapidly.
- This will give them a gently curled shape.
- Cook until they begin to turn pink around the edges, about 2 minutes.
- Place the pan in the oven until the prawns are evenly pink, about 2 minutes longer.
- Cut the skin and white pith off all the citrus fruits and segment the fruits over a bowl to catch the segments and juices.
- Season with the salt and pepper and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- Toss well, taste for balance and reserve.
- To serve, place 1/4 of the watercress on 4 plates.
- Toss the citrus mixture again and spoon around and over the watercresss, moistening with juices.
- Arrange 3 prawns around each salad, standing them in a circle, tails up, and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
- This is my favorite spice mixture.
- There is almost nothing it doesn't taste good on or in.
- Use it to make spice-encrusted pork ribs, chops, or tenderloin; veal chops; chicken breasts; duck; beef; liver; or eggplant; or add a teaspoon to lentil soup.
- If you don't have time to make it, we do it for you, with our Fennel Spice Rub
- 1 cup fennel seeds
- 3 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons white peppercorns
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- Put the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a heavy pan over medium heat.
- Watch carefully, tossing frequently so the seeds toast evenly.
- When light brown and fragrant, pour the seeds onto a plate to cool.
- They must be cool before grinding, or they will gum up the blades.
- Pour the seeds into a blender and add the salt.
- Blend to a fine powder, shaking the blender occasionally to redistribute the seeds.
- Store in a tightly sealed glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze.
- Yield: about 1 1/4 cups
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
prawns, fennel spice rub, extravirgin olive oil, orange, grapefruit, oranges, salt, watercress
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/fennel-spiced-prawns-with-citrus-salad-recipe.html (may not work)