Baked Garlicky Prawns

Appetizer or Main

I love this seafood recipe because it's so fast & easy to prepare and very flexible.  You can eat it as is as appetizer or as main or as protein for your plain pasta either buttered or coated with EVO.

For this version, we're having it as a side to other dishes so am just using 16 giant prawns.  You can easily adjust the amount of ingredients just so it coats your shrimps or prawns completely.

Process & Ingredients

1. Remove the shells & de-vein your prawns.  Up to you if you want the tail intact or no. And lucky you if you can buy it de-shelled and de-veined.
2. I learned this from one of our helps in Singapore who used to work for a Chinese family. After cleaning up your seafood, soak it in Chinese rice cooking wine then refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.  I used about 4 tablespoons of wine and mixed it around with my hand to ensure that all the prawns are "coated".  She says that the sweetness of prawns and even sliced squid is maintained.

   

   You can buy Shaosing Rice Cooking Wine from any Asian grocery.

3. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees
4. I used a mezzo luna to mince  10 cloves of garlic and half a handful of parsley because I just feel it makes the task way speedier.  Transferred them to a bowl which I know will be big enough to eventually hold the prawns.
   
   
   

   

   Parsley & garlic all minced.

5. I added 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs and seasoned it with salt & pepper.

   

   Other ingredients you would need.

6. I drizzled in 1/2 cup of EVO into the bread crumb mixture to form a paste.
   
7. I quickly drained the prawns then mixed them gently by hand in the bread crumb paste, ensuring that each prawn is well coated.
8. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the prawns.
   
   
   
   
9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Just eyeball it.  If the prawns have turned pink then they're cooked.
10. You can serve this yumminess at room temperature or warm.  Have lemon wedges on standby because you can truly enjoy this dish with lemon juice squeezed over it.
    
    
    

    

    Happy meatless Friday!!!

Adobong Alimango/Crabs

Main:  Seafood Dish

This dish first came to our attention when we visited this crazy, adorable family last summer.  Sounded so crazy-good the way they described it that I harassed them non-stop until they shared with me the recipe.  We first met +buchoy macasaet, +Carol Soriano and their Cheetos-loving son, Tomas, the first time we were all in Singapore. When we were leaving Finland, they were in the process of settling in.  Now both our families are in the western part of Northern America.  

"family" portrait with Pugsley and Pongo

This dish was actually created by +Mila Banzon and here's a link to her original recipe

http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/118691/the-secret-to-this-hit-adobong-alimango-and-its-finger-licking-sauce

I found the task of removing manually the crab fat/aligue way too daunting and I really hated the idea of destroying my mani (because am really cack handed).  The following adjusted recipe is way easier and less time consuming.  It really is crazy good, it has replaced  chilli crab as one of our favourite crab dishes and it has tied for first place with Salted Egg Crab.

Only found at Irvin's, "Singapore's Most Handsome Restaurant"

Ingredients: (enough for a hungry family of four)

• minimum of 15 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 pounds of crab (I use legs of Alaskan and Dungeness crabs because it's what's available in the grocery); I cut them at the joints to make it easier to cook
  
• 16 prawn de-veined (it is used as "extender" because crabs are expensive)
• half a jar of Thai crab paste
• a teaspoon of chilli with garlic
• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons (or more) of fish sauce/patis
• handful of roughly chopped coriander
  

Process:  you can easily do this ala minute ie, right before having your meal because it's that easy and fast

1. in a small bowl, mix your crab paste, lemon juice, fish sauce and chilli garlic
2. heat oil in wok and brown the minced garlic; remove from wok with a slotted spoon.  Set aside.
   
3. with the garlic infused oil, quickly fry your prawns and crabs until they turn orange.  Set aside.
   
4. in your hot wok, cook for about 2 minutes, until it bubbles, your crab paste mixture
5. return your cooked seafood and toss very well
6. place crabs on your serving dish and pour sauce over it
7. top with your cooked minced garlic and the chopped coriander
   
   
   

   

   Best eaten with lots of steamed rice!