Prawn Creole (Spice of life)

     This spicy prawn dish is very popular in New Orléans, Louisiana. This is an updated, more "Haute Creole" version.

Serves 6-8

• 75 gr unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 large green pepper, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
• 2 celery sticks, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 bay leave
• 30 ml paprika
• 450 gr tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 250 ml tomato juice
• 20 ml Worcestershire sauce
• 4-6 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 7.5 ml cornflour
• 1.5 kg raw prawns, peeled and de-veined
• Salt
• Chopped fresh parsley and grated lemon peel, to garnish
• Boiled rice, to serve

In a large pan, melt 25 gr of the butter and sauté the onion, green pepper, celery, garlic and bay leave for 1-2 minutes until all are hot and coated in butter.

Add the paprika, tomatoes and tomato juice, stir in Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces, bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, until reduced by about a quarter, and vegetables are soft.

Blend the cornflour with 75 ml cold water and pour it into the tomato sauce, stir the sauce continuously over the heat for a couple of minutes, then turn off the heat.

Sauté the prawns in batches in the remaining butter for 2-4 minutes, until they are pink and tender.

Meanwhile, reheat the tomato sauce.

When all the prawns are cooked, add them to the sauce and stir over the heat for no more than one minute.

Adjust the seasonning and serve with boiled rice, garnished with chopped fresh parsley and grated lemon peel.

BON APPETIT