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Nigerian peppered prawns
Peppered prawns: king prawns fried with scotch bonnet, onion and bell peppers
Lagos party caterers serve peppered prawns on cocktail sticks beside the peppered chicken, and at beach spots near Lekki they come in a hot pan with chilled drinks. Big prawns are seasoned, seared fast, then tossed with a blended scotch-bonnet sauce and crunchy strips of onion and pepper, so they are sweet, juicy and properly hot. Buy prawns kept cold, and throw away any that smell of ammonia or feel slimy. The mistake is cooking them too long in the sauce until they curl tight and go rubbery; sear until just pink, then toss for a minute only. Chef's tip: leave the tails on; they give guests a handle and stop the prawns curling quite so much.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb raw king prawnspeeled, deveined, tails on
- ½ tsp Nigerian curry powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 stock cubecrumbled; gluten-free if needed
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red bell pepperseeded
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 onionsliced into rings
- 1 green bell peppercut into strips
- ¼ tsp saltto taste
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Pat 1 ⅛ lb raw king prawns dry and toss with ½ tsp Nigerian curry powder, ½ tsp dried thyme and half of ½ stock cube. Keep them in the fridge while you make the sauce.
Step 2: Blend 1 red bell pepper, 2 scotch bonnets and 2 cloves garlic to a coarse purée.
2 minStep 3: Heat half of 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a high heat. Sear the prawns in one layer for about 1 minute a side, until they have just turned pink and opaque. Lift them out.
4 minStep 4: Add the rest of 2 tbsp vegetable oil and fry the purée with the rest of ½ stock cube for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until it thickens and the oil shows.
6 minStep 5: Add 1 onion and 1 green bell pepper and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes so they stay crunchy. Season with ¼ tsp salt.
2 minStep 6: Return the prawns and toss for 1 minute until coated and hot right through, opaque to the centre. Serve at once.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nigerian peppered prawns take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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