'Garlic prawn'

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Playfully named 'Garlic prawn' by chef Gareth Ward, this striking dish is actually comprised of the best Scottish langoustines around. The shells, heads and bodies are all utilised to create some stunning flavours, including 'prawn claw oil', 'prawn head and soy dressing' and, of course, the tails themselves, which are simply grilled on the barbecue before dusting in nori powder. The 'garlic' element comes from wild garlic, so save this recipe for spring when abundant.

First published in 2018

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Langoustines

Wild garlic vinegar and pickled stems

  • 300g of wild garlic, stalks and leaves separated
  • 500ml of rice wine vinegar

To make the prawn oil

  • 500g of sunflower oil

Wild garlic oil

To make the prawn head soy dressing

To garnish

Equipment

  • Temperature probe
  • Muslin cloth
  • High-power blender
  • Barbecue

Method

1
To being, prepare the wild garlic vinegar and pickled stems. Heat the vinegar to 62°C in a pan and add the wild garlic leaves and stems. Remove from the heat and leave to pickle and infuse for 24 hours
  • 300g of wild garlic, stalks and leaves separated
  • 500ml of rice wine vinegar
2
To prepare the langoustines, remove the heads and set aside for the prawn soy sauce. Remove the claws and shells and reserve for the prawn oil. Keep the peeled tails in the fridge ready for cooking later
3
For the prawn claw oil, preheat the oven to 120°C/gas mark 1/2
4
Place the claws and shells in a roasting tray – one that is just big enough to snugly fit them inside and deep enough so that you can cover them with the oil without it overflowing. Roast the claws in the oven until a rich golden colour, then remove from the oven, cover in the oil and allow to sit for 12 hours. After this time, pass through muslin and store in the fridge
  • 500g of sunflower oil
5
For the wild garlic oil, blitz the wild garlic with the oil in a high-powered blender until vibrant and smooth, then pass through a sieve lined with muslin cloth
6
When the wild garlic and vinegar has been infusing for 24 hours, remove the leaves from the vinegar and discard. Drain the stalks, finely dice and place in the fridge. Pass the resulting wild garlic vinegar through a sieve lined with muslin and set aside
7
For the prawn head soy dressing, sauté the reserved langoustine heads in a dash of the claw oil until golden brown. Add the soy sauce then remove the pan from the heat. Add the mixture to a high-powered blender, blitz to break up the shells slightly then pass through muslin cloth. Season to taste with the wild garlic vinegar
8
When ready to cook, coat the langoustine tails in prawn claw oil and cook on a hot barbecue for around 45 seconds, just on one side. Remove from the heat and allow to rest in some of the prawn claw oil
9
To serve, place a teaspoon of the wild garlic oil in each bowl, place a langoustine on top and add a spoonful of the pickled wild garlic stalks on top. Add two spoonfuls of prawn head soy dressing, dust with nori powder and serve
First published in 2018

Tucked away in a country house hotel in rural Wales, Gareth Ward is creating dishes like no one else in the UK. With a focus on aged meat, preserved seasonal ingredients and punchy Japanese flavours, his tasting menus are bold, exciting and an absolute must-try.

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