As an example of an actual healthy grilled jumbo prawns recipe that doesn't kill you from clogged arteries and heart failure from 50 ladles of butter for every prawn in the recipe, here's a rather substantial variation of a butter laden prawn recipe from a cooking website named recipe czar which was a Prawns-for-the-Barbie recipe drenched in un-needed butter toxins, and was not atypical for Australian Jumbo Prawns on the Barbie recipes of that ilk.
Our modifications to this Australian Jumbo Prawn on the Barbie recipe makes it a lot healthier than the original and give a better impact to the lemon accent and a superior flavor to the prawns. We do not use any butter (a 100% unhealthy fat which lends nothing to the recipe and only will give you cardiovascular disease).
Healthy Jumbo Prawns on the Barbie - Australian Style
Ingredients
• 1/4 cup olive oil and olive oil dipping
• 1/4 cup minced fresh herb (parsley, thyme, oregano etc.)
• fresh lemon(s)
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• salt and pepper
• 1 kg medium size prawns
• 1 head of lettuce (of your choice)
Combine the 1/4 cup of olive oil, herbs, some fresh squeezed lemon juice, garlic, shallots, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.
Mix in prawns and
Marinate at room temperature 1 hour.
When you squeeze the lemon(s) to make the marinade, make sure you retain the lemon pulp.
This marination hour not only helps to marinate the prawns and also brings them up to room temperature so that they will cook evenly and quickly on the BBQ.
As the heat of cooking destroys many of the health benefits of a good olive oil (as well as damaging the flavor) you can be a bit less particular about what quality olive oil you use for the marinade, but for the dipping olive oil use only the best olive oil. Good quality olive oil is one of the most healthy oils there is, and you want to make sure you getting the benefits (as you are most definitely getting the calories).
Thread the marinated prawns on narrow skewers and as you place them on the Barbecue (medium heat) add the lemon pulp and residual lemon juice in the lemons you squeezed for the marinade. The pulp will singe on the Barbecue and add a distinctive texture and flavor. Don't overdo it, but don't by shy about it either. The prawns (depending upon size) should be done (opaque meat) within a few minutes of cooking on each side as they are starting at room temperature already.
As a crispy complement, and a colorful serving layer, arrange the prawns on leaves of lettuce on the serving platter. You may or may not prefer removing the prawns from the skewers before serving. Make available olive oil for dipping.
You will find that a hot jumbo prawn "fresh off the barbie" cooked in this way and dipped in a high quality and flavorful (full of beneficial tocopherols) is a flavor explosion you'll not want to miss.