Mexican-inspired prawns with rice

Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Serves 4

Your slow cooker makes really good steamed rice, as it works in much the same way as a rice cooker. Just make sure you give the rice a thorough rinse beforehand. Once the rice is cooked, you can top it with light ingredients; nothing too heavy or the rice will turn into a stodgy mess. Try this zesty, tomato-based sauce with prawns (or fillets of white fish, if you prefer).

I tend to avoid adding frozen seafood directly to the slow cooker, as it releases too much water. If you’re using frozen prawns, make sure they are completely thawed before you start, then pat them dry with kitchen paper.

INGREDIENTS

– 1 x 400g tin whole

tomatoes

– 2 tbsp chipotle sauce

– 1 onion, roughly

chopped

– 2 garlic cloves, roughly

chopped

– large handful of coriander, roughly chopped, plus a handful of coriander leaves to serve

– 2 tbsp lime juice, plus

lime wedges to serve

– 300g long-grain rice

– 12 large raw prawns, peeled and deveined but with tails intact – handful of baby spinach leaves

METHOD

Heat your slow cooker to high.

Put the tomatoes, chipotle sauce, onion, garlic, chopped coriander and lime juice into a food processor and blend until you have a smooth sauce. Tip into a large bowl and set aside.

Rinse the rice in a fine sieve under the cold tap until the water runs clear. Drain well, then tip into the bowl of the slow cooker. Add 500ml water, cover and cook for 90 minutes, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed.

Stir the prawns into the bowl of tomato sauce, then gently pour over the rice in the slow cooker, spreading the prawns out so they don’t overlap. Cover and cook for 1 hour, until they are pink and cooked through.

Serve in bowls with some baby spinach and coriander leaves on the side, and lime wedges for squeezing.