Continental · serves 2

Butter Garlic Prawns

Prawns cook in four minutes. This is the fastest good dinner there is.

20 min Easy Non-vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 400g prawns, cleaned
  • 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 60g butter
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 lemon
  • Parsley or coriander
  • Bread or rice

Method

  1. Pat the prawns completely dry, salt them.
  2. Melt butter, add garlic on medium — golden, not brown. 2 minutes.
  3. Chilli flakes, then prawns in one layer.
  4. 90 seconds a side. The moment they curl into a C, they're done. A curled O means overcooked.
  5. Lemon, herbs, and bread to mop the pan.

Questions people ask about Butter Garlic Prawns

How long does Butter Garlic Prawns take?

About 20 minutes from starting to sitting down, and it is straightforward. That is start-to-finish, so it works on a weeknight when you have not planned anything.

What can I use instead of prawns in Butter Garlic Prawns?

Use chicken cut small, cooked 4 minutes longer, or mushrooms seared hard first.

Can I make Butter Garlic Prawns ahead of time?

You can prepare it a few hours ahead and reheat gently. It keeps two days in the fridge, though it is best on the day.

Can I make Butter Garlic Prawns vegetarian?

Yes. Replace the prawns with king oyster mushrooms torn into chunks, or firm tofu pressed dry. Both want a hard sear first, and both go in at the very end, because neither needs more than a couple of minutes.

What do you serve with Butter Garlic Prawns?

Lemon, herbs, and bread to mop the pan. It serves two as written. Double everything to feed four, but use a wider pan so the food still browns rather than steams.

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