Guest Blogger: Methy - Roasted Prawns With Romesco Sauce

           

                         Oven-Roasted Prawns with Romesco Sauce

 

Methy has returned to guest blog with one of her wonderful recipes from an event she catered in Chevy Chase, Maryland:

 

                        Oven-Roasted Prawns with Romesco Sauce

 

Prep Time: 15 minutes     Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8 servings    

Ingredients
3 tomatoes, halved
10 garlic cloves  (see cook's note 1)
2 slices crusty bread
1/2 cup whole almonds, with skin
1/2 cup hazelnuts or pine nuts (see cook's note 2)
1 pimento or roasted red pepper (see cook's note 3)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds prawns, shelled, tails removed, heads on (see cook's note 4)


Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  (see cook's note 5)

Arrange the tomato, garlic, bread, and nuts on a baking sheet; roast for 10 to 15 minutes.  (see cook's note 6)

Transfer to a food processor and pulse to roughly break up.  (see cook's note 7) Add the pimentos, vinegar, oil, and paprika. Pulse again until well combined, add salt. This sauce is best if allowed to rest so the flavors can meld (may be made a day in advance).

(see cook's note 8)  Heat oil to almost smoking in a large skillet or roasting pan.  Toss the prawns in half the romesco sauce to coat, and pan sear the shrimp quickly in the oil just until barely opaque. Then roast for 10 to 12 minutes in a 450 degree F oven. Serve the remaining sauce on the side for dipping.

Cooks notes:
1.  I reduced garlic to 7-8 medium-large cloves
2.  I used the pine nuts.
3.  I used jarred chopped pimento, about 1/3 of a 4 oz jar, drained
4.  I used 2.5 lbs of shrimp, 13-15 count (per pound), salt water (freshwater shrimp has a more chewy texture)
5.  I heated oven to only 400F
6.  Pine nuts only required 5-6 minutes to toast.  They burn quickly, so keep them separate and keep an eye on them.  Hazelnuts can toast longer.
7.  The bread crisps up alot.  You may have to break it/cut it into smaller pieces to give your food processor a break.  Also, cut the tomato halves into 2 or 3 pieces.
8.  Bring romesco sauce to room temperature if you want to speed up the cooking process.

Final note: this recipe makes a LOT of sauce, more than is needed for dipping the shrimp.  But the sauce would be good on pasta, as a dip for bread, a variety of things.  It's worth having the extra.

*Thanks to T-Square for taking the photograph.