Honeyed Ginger Prawns with Apricots and Spiced Cashews.
I love Winter, don’t get me wrong. But sometimes I am always a little bit late on the up take when it comes to seasonal eating. I often find myself in the heights of Summer craving a huge bowl of steaming lamb stew with chunky bread. I am also no stranger to dousing up a lovely salad with Summer vegetables when I am shivering in a onesie on the sofa. There has to be an in between at some point, and this is my offering.
My contribution to Buzz Magazine was a little strange. My deadline was looming for the October issue and unfortunately (I use the term loosely) I was in Las Vegas, sipping a cocktail under the burning desert sun. So while my heart was truly back in the UK gearing up for the seclusion of Autumn, my head was definitely bare naked, covered in oil and lapping up the last of the Summer sun.
When the plane landed, the laptop booted up and my Kitchen came calling, my palette was all over the gaff. I was still hankering for the cool, crunchy textures of Summer salads but my taste buds were crying for the warm, spicy seasoning of the Autumn. So I got slightly creative – and confused – in the Kitchen and sent in a recipe for the most seasonally promiscuous salad I have ever come up with.
(Find out where to find the magazine locally by clicking here —> http://www.buzzmag.co.uk/distribution-outlets/find-a-buzz-cardiff-and-outskirts/)
As we find ourselves in the seasonal transition, there is still a part of us that wants to cling on to the salads of summer but also run towards the spices of autumn. This recipe combines the virtues of both seasons in a warming yet crisp salad suitable for any night of the week.
• 100g Ready Cooked King Prawns
• 70g Dry Apricots (halved)
• 1 tbs Runny Honey
• 1 Lime
• Thumb Size Piece of Ginger
• Pinch of Black Pepper
• ¼ tsp All Spice
• Handful of Cashew Nuts
• ¼ tsp Dry Chili Flakes
• 50g Watercress
• 2 Spring Onions
1. In a bowl, combine the cooked prawns and half of the apricots with the honey and zest/ juice of half a lime before grating in some fresh ginger
2. Add some fresh black pepper to the bowl along with the all spice before covering with foil and allowing to marinate
3. Meanwhile, add the cashews to a pan and dry toast them over a medium to high heat before sprinkling in the dry chilies
4. Add the remaining apricots to the pan and coat them in the dry chilies
5. On a plate, arrange the watercress (or any designer leaf of your choice) before snipping over the spring onions
6. Dot the lettuce leaves with the marinated prawns before tossing over the toasted spiced cashew nuts and apricots
7. Finally, squeeze over the final half of the lime and serve
MIKEY AND THE KITCHEN. 