Prawn carpaccio with prawn oil

Spanking fresh prawns lend a sweet and clean taste to this summery dish.

Serves 8

Prep

15M

Cook

1H 30M

Total

1H 45M

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The flesh for any carpaccio must be spanking fresh. Here, fresh prawns lend a sweet and clean taste. The prawn oil is great drizzled over any seafood and is particularly good tossed through seafood pasta.

Ingredients

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1.2 kg uncooked large prawns, peeled, deveined, heads and shells reserved for prawn oil

Juice and thinly peeled rind of 1 lime

1 long red chilli, finely chopped

Prawn oil

250 ml grapeseed oil (1 cup)

1 each small onion and carrot, coarsely chopped

1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 fresh bay leaves

1 tsp whole black peppercorns

Method

Main

1.For prawn oil, heat 1 tbsp oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and stir occasionally until tender (4-5 minutes), stir in tomato paste and stir occasionally until paste darkens (1-2 minutes). Add prawn heads and shells and stir, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon, until coloured (3-4 minutes). Add bay leaves, peppercorns and 250ml water, bring to the simmer, then add remaining oil and simmer until well-flavoured and infused (1¼-1½ hours). Ladle oil from surface into a jug (discard liquid and solids), then strain oil through a fine sieve (discard solids). Refrigerate until chilled. Prawn oil will keep refrigerated for 3 weeks.

2.Dry-roast coriander seeds until fragrant (30 seconds), then set aside. Slice prawns very thinly lengthways and arrange on a serving plate. Cut lime rind into julienne, scatter over prawns, then squeeze lime juice over. Scatter with coriander seeds, chilli and sea salt to taste, drizzle with a little prawn oil and serve immediately.