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Perfect Prawns with Caesar Salad & Flatbread

This is the perfect way to cook king prawns - roasted hot & fast with chilli, garlic, parsley & lemon. A classic Caesar salad is a lovely partner, with some flatbread to mop up the delicious juices.
Read our post above for detailed instructions, step-by-step pictures and tips.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Steeping time (optional) 1 hour
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Supper
Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

For the prawns
  • 500g raw king prawns
  • 3 to 4 red chillies, or to taste
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 small bag parsley
  • 2 lemons
  • 4 to 5 tbsps olive oil, plus extra for roasting
  • Salt & black pepper to season
For the Caesar salad
  • 2 heads romaine lettuce, or other crisp lettuce
  • 1 small block Parmesan
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 pack croutons, or make your own
  • Worcestershire sauce, to taste
  • Black pepper, to season
  • 1 egg
  • 150ml olive oil
  • OR 4 to 5 tablespoons mayonnaise
For the flatbreads
  • 4 flatbreads
  • Water to sprinkle

Equipment

  • 1 lemon juicer
  • 1 measuring jug
  • 1 Cheese grater
  • 1 Potato peeler (optional)
  • 1 jam jar (optional)
  • 1 whisk
  • 1 large roasting tray

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Chop the chillies, medium fine. See our chilli Tip. Also peel & finely chop the garlic. See our garlic Tip.
  2. Steep 2 tablespoons of the garlic in 150ml of olive oil for an hour (optional). Reserve the rest of the garlic.
  3. Juice the lemons. See our lemon Tip. Roughly chop the parsley. See our herb Tip.
  4. Finely grate a small piece of the Parmesan, enough for a few tablespoons. Shave the rest - this is easiest with a potato peeler.
For the lemon vinaigrette
  1. Put a little salt & black pepper into a clean jam jar or small bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and stir until the salt dissolves. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then either put the lid on the jar and shake briskly, or whisk, to emulsify the dressing. Add 3 or 4 more tablespoons of olive oil, depending on the richness you like, and shake or whisk again. Keep in the fridge until needed. See our vinaigrette Tip.
For the Caesar dressing
  1. If making with oil & egg: Separate one egg, and add the yolk to a small bowl; discard the white. See our egg Tip. Whisk the yolk briskly with a small splash of lemon juice. Keep whisking and add the infused oil, drop by drop at first, then, when the dressing starts to thicken, in a slow, steady thin stream. Make sure to add the garlic from the infused oil. See our pictures & tips in the post above.
  2. If making with mayonnaise: Add 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic to the mayonnaise and stir.
  3. For either dressing base: Add the grated Parmesan and stir to combine. Add lemon juice to taste, and whisk in well. Add a generous splash of Worcestershire sauce, and season with black pepper (you shouldn't need salt). Taste and adjust with any of the flavourings to you preference.
To finish the Caesar salad
  1. Remove the outer leaves from the lettuce and discard. Chop the remaining lettuce roughly. Add to a large serving bowl. Spoon over some of the Caesar dressing and toss well to coat the leaves.
  2. Sprinkle over some of the shaved Parmesan plus some of the croutons, reserving some of each to top. Add more dressing if needed, and toss well again.
  3. Top with more of the Parmesan and croutons. Drizzle over a little more dressing, if liked.
For the roasted prawns & flatbreads
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 240C (220C fan).
  2. Check the prawns over for any remanents of shell or intestinal tract, and remove if needed. Dry the prawns on some kitchen paper.
  3. Place a good glug of olive oil in a roasting tin large enough to hold the prawns in one layer. Add the chopped chillies and put the tin into the hot oven so the oil heats through - a few minutes.
  4. When the oil is hot, add the prawns, garlic, parsley and a splash of lemon juice, and stir well to coat the prawns. Place the tin back in the oven. Cook until the prawns turn uniformly pinkish-orange, and are opaque. How long will depend on the size of the prawns - ours took 7 minutes. Half way through the cooking time, remove the tin and stir the prawns.
  5. While the prawns are cooking, place the flatbreads on a baking tray and sprinkle with a little water. Bake in the hot oven for the time stated on the packet - usually about 2 minnutes.
Plating & serving the prawns with Caesar salad & flatbreads
  1. When the prawns are cooked, plate immediately, spooning over a little of the lemon vinaigrette.
  2. Serve with the Caesar salad on the side, and the flatbreads to mop up the delicious juices.
  3. Enjoy!