Škampi na buzaru
This simple, tomatoey Croatian prawn dish from Jordon Ezra King was inspired by his trip to Istria. It's a fantastic way to make the most of high quality prawns, and comes together in less than an hour.
Buzara is a classic Dalmatian method for cooking shellfish (most often scampi, mussels, or clams) in a fragrant broth of olive oil, garlic, white wine, parsley, and sometimes breadcrumbs or tomato. The addition or omission of tomato makes this dish ‘red’ or ‘white’. The name is disputed but might come from the Venetian bozzolare, meaning to simmer or bubble. In fact, in Venice you find pasta ‘alla buasara’ prepared in a very similar way, and this recipe is the origin of that dish. Though simple in appearance, buzara exemplifies the coastal Adriatic balance between sea and land: seafood cooked gently in aromatics, with just enough sauce to be mopped up with bread. It’s a dish of immediacy and generosity; served hot, often family-style. If you have leftovers (unlikely!) toss them through pasta.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 100ml of olive oil
- 16 large prawns, in their shells, the best quality you can find
- 1 small onion
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp of tomato paste
- 2 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 200ml of dry white wine
- 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs
- 10g of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- crusty bread, to serve
- salt and pepper
Method
Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the oil to a frying pan and place over a high heat
- 30ml of olive oil
When the oil shimmers, add the prawns and fry for a minute on each side, then remove
- 16 large prawns, in their shells, the best quality you can find
Pour the remaining 70 ml of olive oil into the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic
- 70ml of olive oil
- 1 small onion
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
When they start to turn soft and fragrant, stir in the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, then add the wine and bring to a boil
- 1 tbsp of tomato paste
- 2 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 200ml of dry white wine
Add 100 ml water and another pinch of salt. Stir, then reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer gently for about 10 minutes
With the sauce still simmering, add the breadcrumbs, stir and taste for seasoning
- 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs
Add the prawns and most of the parsley and stir well. Cook for a further 2 minutes then turn off the heat
- 10g of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Drizzle over a little more olive oil, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve immediately with crusty bread
- crusty bread, to serve
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