COOKING WITH KAREN

With zesty herbs and vibrant veg, your next alfresco lunch or dinner gets an irresistible dose of wow factor

BBQ PRAWNS WITH CUCUMBER RELISH

Preparation time 20 mins plus 15 mins marinating Cooking time 10 mins Serves 4 to 6

16 extra large green king prawns

in shells, heads and tails on 60ml fish sauce

60ml extra virgin olive oil

4 Tbsp coconut cream Steamed rice, to serve Coriander leaves and fried shallots,

to garnish

CUCUMBER RELISH

4 Tbsp caster sugar

100ml water

1 tsp white peppercorns

1 clove garlic

‘/“ bunch coriander, leaves picked

and chopped and roots cleaned ‘/“ tsp sea-salt flakes

3 long green chillies, finely sliced 2 red bullet chillies

50ml fish sauce

Juice of 3 limes

3 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded 2 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled in

strips and cut into small dice (5mm)

STEP 1 To make cucumber relish, add sugar and water to a small saucepan and put over low heat until sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.

STEP 2 Use a mortar and pestle to ground peppercorns, then pound in garlic and coriander roots. Add salt, grind for a couple of minutes, then add chilli and grind into a smooth paste. STEP 3 Transfer to a bowl and stir through sugar water, fish sauce, lime juice, coriander leaves, kaffir lime leaves and cucumber. Set aside.

STEP 4 Prepare prawns 1 at a time (see Cook’s tip, below). With a small, sharp knife, make an incision from just below the head down to the tail without cu†ing all the way through, leaving head and tail intact and mid-section shell on. Prise open shell a li†le to devein the prawn. Repeat for remaining prawns.

STEP 5 Lay prawns in a flat dish and splash fish sauce over, leaving to marinate for about 10-15 minutes.

STEP 6 Preheat barbecue plate or griddle pan on medium heat. Brush each prawn with a li†le olive oil. Grill prawns on hot plate for about 4 minutes, basting with coconut cream. Turn over prawns and cook for another minute or so.

STEP 7 Pile prawns on steamed rice, top with cucumber relish, then garnish with shallots and coriander. Serve.

PESTO PASTA SALAD WITH VINE RIPENED ROASTED TOMATOES

Preparation time 20 mins Cooking time 30 mins Serves 4

2 punnets vine-ripened cherry

tomatoes

Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground

black pepper, to season

Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

12 baby chat potatoes, boiled

or steamed and kept warm

1 cup short pasta such as small

tubetti or macaroni, freshly cooked 2 handfuls small green beans, cooked

to hold some resistance on the bite 30g pine nuts, toasted Handful basil leaves, to garnish Grated parmesan, to serve

BASIL PESTO

200g basil leaves, roughly

chopped (about 2 bunches) 50g flat-leaf parsley leaves,

very finely chopped

1‘/“ cloves garlic, sliced Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground

black pepper, to season 125ml extra virgin olive oil

50g pine nuts, toasted

110g parmesan, finely grated

STEP 1 Preheat oven‘to 150’C fan-forced (170’C conventional). Put cherry tomatoes still on the vine on an oven tray lined with baking paper, season and drizzle with oil, then roast for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, cool and set aside.

STEP 2 To make the pesto, put basil, parsley and garlic in a food processor and blitz into a rough paste. Season. Add olive oil, pulse until just mixed, then add pine nuts and grated parmesan. Pulse until combined, then blitz to desired consistency (either a textured or smooth paste). Season again.

STEP 3 Put pesto in a large bowl, then add cooked potatoes, pasta, green beans and half of the pine nuts. Gently toss to coat with pesto.

STEP 4 Transfer to a serving dish, sca†er over remaining pine nuts and top with cooled roasted tomatoes on the vine. Garnish with basil and serve with grated parmesan.

BY OVEN ROASTING THE TOMATOES YOU GET A BEAUTIFUL BURST OF SWEET AND TART FLAVOUR

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