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Kerkennah-style grilled prawns

Name: Kerkennah-style grilled prawns
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean recipes
Ingredients: 16 large sustainable Atlantic prawns, heads removed and peeled (tails on or off, as you prefer); Olive oil for frying; For the sauce; 10 spring onions, white parts chopped and green parts finely sliced; 2 plum tomatoes on the vine, roughly chopped; 1 large green chilli, quartered lengthways and deseeded; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; ½ tsp ground coriander; ½ tsp caraway seeds, lightly crushed; ½ tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed; 2 tbsp red wine vinegar; Handful pitted green olives, chopped; Handful flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped; 1 tbsp tomato purée; Extra-virgin olive oil

By: Ben Tish

Published: 30 Jun 24
Updated: 29 Jul 24

Grilled prawns are paired with kerkennaise, a spiced tomato sauce from Tunisia in this delicious barbecue recipe from chef Ben Tish.

Ben says: “On the Kerkennah islands off the coast of Tunisia, seafood is often paired with kerkennaise, a spiced tomato sauce with subtle chilli heat, pungent spicing and lots of spring onions, olives and capers. It’s a sublime mix of Moorish and Mediterranean flavours. Use this wonderful sauce for any grilled fish, squid or octopus.”

Recipe taken from Mediterra by Ben Tish (Bloomsbury £26) and tested by delicious. Discover more ideas for prawns.

Easy
July 2024

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 25 min

Grilled prawns are paired with kerkennaise, a spiced tomato sauce from Tunisia in this delicious barbecue recipe from chef Ben Tish.

Recipe taken from Mediterra by Ben Tish (Bloomsbury £26) and tested by delicious. Discover more ideas for prawns.

Nutrition: Per serving

Calories: 111kcals
Fat: 6.1g (1g saturated)
Protein: 8.9g
Carbohydrates: 3.4g (3.3g sugars)
Fibre: 2.9g
Salt: 0.6g

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Ingredients

16 large sustainable Atlantic prawns, heads removed and peeled (tails on or off, as you prefer)
Olive oil for frying

For the sauce

10 spring onions, white parts chopped and green parts finely sliced
2 plum tomatoes on the vine, roughly chopped
1 large green chilli, quartered lengthways and deseeded
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp caraway seeds, lightly crushed
½ tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Handful pitted green olives, chopped
Handful flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
Extra-virgin olive oil

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Method

First make the sauce. Whizz together the spring onion whites, tomatoes, green chilli, garlic, ground coriander, caraway and cumin seeds and vinegar in a blender. Transfer this mixture to a bowl, then stir in the spring onion greens, olives, parsley, tomato purée and a good splash of extra-virgin olive oil. Cover the bowl and let it rest while you heat the barbecue.
Light the barbecue about 30 minutes before you want to cook so the coals turn ashen grey and are at the optimum grilling temperature. Position the grill above the coals so it gets very hot. Alternatively, heat a large ridged cast-iron griddle pan until it’s smoking hot.
When you’re ready to grill, pat the prawns dry, then rub them with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put on the grill (or in the pan) and cook for 3 minutes on each side until they change colour and are cooked through – a little charring adds a smoky flavour.

Transfer the prawns to a serving platter or individual plates and spoon over some of the sauce. Serve the remaining sauce on the side for everyone to help themselves.