THE RECIPES

Prawn tagine with saffron, ginger and fennel

SERVES 4

Many shellfish tagines are not so much traditional as they are inspired by cultural influences, such as the prawn/shrimp and mussel tagines of Tangier that resemble the cooking of Andalusia across the Mediterranean Sea. Serve this tagine as a first or second course with chunks of crusty bread.

You’ll need

● 4–5 tbspn olive oil ● 20 raw king prawns, heads removed ● 2 onions, finely chopped ● 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped ● thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped ● pinch of saffron threads ● 1–2 tspn smoked paprika ● 400g can of tomatoes, drained ● small bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped ● small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped ● 1 tspn sugar ● 4 fennel bulbs, trimmed and sliced thickly lengthways ● sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ● bread, to serve

Method

1. Heat 2–3 tbspns of the olive oil in the base of a tagine or a heavy-based casserole. Add prawns and cook for 2–3 minutes, until they turn opaque. Using a slotted spoon, remove the prawns from the tagine and set aside. Keep the oil in the pan.

2. Stir the onion, garlic, ginger and saffron into the oil and sauté for 3–4 minutes, until they begin to colour. Add paprika, tomatoes and half the herbs. Stir in the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Cook gently, partially covered, for about 10 minutes until the mix thickens to form a sauce.

3. Meanwhile, steam the fennel for about 5 minutes, until soft. Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan and add the steamed fennel. Cook gently on both sides for 4–5 minutes, until golden. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Toss the cooked prawns in the tomato sauce, place the fennel on top, cover with lid, and cook gently for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining coriander and parsley immediately before serving.