Garlic Prawns Tapas

Garlic Prawns with Olive Oil

Spanish-style tapas for the Charlie Oven. Fast, bubbling, full of garlic, and made for scooping up with warm toast.

Serves

Serves 4 as a starter or sharing dish.

Why cook this in Charlie?

This is exactly the sort of dish Charlie does brilliantly. The heat is fast and steady, the garlic gently infuses the oil, and the prawns cook in minutes. Serve the whole thing bubbling straight to the table with toasted bread for mopping up every last bit.

Ingredients

• 500g raw king prawns, peeled with tails on
• 6 large garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 150ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp dry sherry or dry white wine
• 1 lemon
• 1 small handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

To serve

• 1 good baguette or sourdough, torn or sliced
• Extra olive oil
• Flaky sea salt
• Lemon wedges

Charlie Oven setup

• Use good quality lump charcoal, ideally Stag Charcoal.
• Build a medium fire, around half a football sized pile, directly on the fire grates.
• Never use briquettes.
• There is no need to wait for the charcoal to burn down to embers.
• Set Charlie to around 220 to 250°C / 430 to 480°F.
• Use the lower rack for direct heat cooking.

Method

1. Put a cast iron pan, terracotta tapas dish, or shallow roasting dish into the Charlie Oven to preheat for 5 minutes.
2. Add the olive oil, sliced garlic and chilli flakes to the hot dish. Return to Charlie for 2 to 3 minutes until the garlic starts to gently sizzle. Watch carefully as burnt garlic will turn bitter.
3. Season the prawns with sea salt, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon.
4. Add the prawns to the hot garlic oil along with the sherry or white wine.
5. Return to Charlie and cook for 4 to 6 minutes until the prawns turn pink and curl up.
6. Scatter over the chopped parsley and add another squeeze of lemon.
7. While the prawns cook, toast the bread directly on the racks until lightly charred at the edges.
8. Serve immediately in the hot dish with toasted bread, extra olive oil, flaky sea salt and lemon wedges.

Charlie tips

• Add a pinch of smoked paprika for extra Spanish warmth.
• Add a handful of cherry tomatoes for sweetness.
• Finish with a little grated lemon zest for freshness.