Serves 2
olive oil 2 tbsp
spring onions 5 large
garlic 2 cloves, peeled and crushed
baby potatoes 200g, peeled and halved, or large potatoes, cubed
preserved lemons 30g, chopped
shelled peas 150g (if you can get fresh pods, buy 400g and retain the pods in a large bowl)
ground turmeric a pinch
saffron a pinch
whole coriander seeds 1 tsp
prawns 8 large (shells and heads intact)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place the olive oil in a tagine or heavy-based pan with a well-fitting lid and heat on a medium-low setting. Chop the spring onions. Retain the green parts for later and place the white parts in the pan with the crushed garlic. Sauté for 1 minute, then add the potato halves (or cubes) and a sprinkling of salt. Sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and keeping the heat low. Stir in the preserved lemons and half the peas, then add the turmeric, saffron and coriander seeds. Season with another pinch of salt and sauté for another minute.
If you have used peas in their pods, boil some water and pour 2 cups over the empty shells; they will infuse and give the water added flavour. If you don’t have any pea pods, it is OK – just use boiling water.
Add 1 cup of the infused/boiling water to the tagine. Increase the heat to bring to the boil, then cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Open the lid carefully and place the prawns in the liquid, pushing them in between the potatoes and peas. Top with the remaining peas and the green parts of the spring onions, and season well with salt and pepper. If there is not much liquid left, top it up a little with more boiling water (infused, if you have it) so that it just covers the prawns.
Replace the lid and cook for 8-10 minutes. The prawns should have turned a deep pink. If they are really large, it may take a couple more minutes, but don’t leave them to cook for too long. Serve immediately.
From Honey & Co At Home: Middle Eastern Recipes From Our Kitchen by Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich (Pavilion, £26)
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