Poached king prawns with creme fraiche

Name: Poached king prawns with creme fraiche
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 6-8
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 24 large, whole, raw king prawns (around 1.5kg); fine salt, for cooking; 2 Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced diagonally, to serve; 1 lemon, very thinly sliced, to serve; large handful of dill fronds, to serve; large handful of mint leaves, to serve; 2 baby cos lettuce, leaves separated, to serve

Julia Busuttil Nishimura

December 2, 2022

Serve the prawns on a platter for guests to help themselves to.William Meppem

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:6-8

For me, there's nothing more celebratory than a platter of beautiful prawns. Poaching them yourself ensures they're perfectly cooked and full of flavour. The accompaniments envelop each prawn to ensure that every bite is briny, crunchy, creamy and full of umami. Serve it all at the centre of the table or arrange a little of everything on individual plates.

Ingredients

24 large, whole, raw king prawns (around 1.5kg)
fine salt, for cooking
2 Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced diagonally, to serve
1 lemon, very thinly sliced, to serve
large handful of dill fronds, to serve
large handful of mint leaves, to serve
2 baby cos lettuce, leaves separated, to serve

For the creme fraiche sauce

125g creme fraiche
2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
large handful dill fronds, roughly chopped
handful of chives, finely chopped
1 tsp hot Japanese or English mustard
1 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
6 cornichons, roughly chopped
1 eschalot (French shallot), finely diced
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
freshly cracked black pepper

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Season it very generously with salt. (It should be akin to sea water, so I add about 1½ tbsp of fine salt per litre of water.) Drop in the prawns, cover and immediately turn off the heat. Allow to gently poach for 7-8 minutes, then plunge in iced water to stop the cooking. Drain and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
2. Make the creme fraiche sauce by combining all of the ingredients, except the egg and pepper, in a medium bowl. Finally, add the egg and gently stir it through. Season with black pepper. You shouldn't need any salt. Transfer to a serving bowl.
3. Peel and de-vein the prawns*, leaving the tails intact. Arrange on a platter with the cucumber, lemon slices, herbs, lettuce and the creme fraiche sauce.
*Tip: If you're short on time, have your guests peel them at the table themselves. What could be more festive than prawny hands and little bowls of lemon water?
This recipe features in Good Weekend's festive feast