Home >Recipes >Fennel Spiced Prawns with Citrus Salad

Serves: 4

• 12 jumbo prawns or shrimp, about 1/2 lb total, peeled and deveined
• 1 tbsp Fennel Spice Rub
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tbsp
• 1 blood orange
• 1/2 large grapefruit
• 2 naval or other large oranges
• salt and pepper
• 1 large bunch watercress

Preparation Time: 30 minutes (1 hour inactive)
Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Sprinkle the fennel spice evenly over the flesh side of the prawns and let sit, covered and refrigerated, overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large skillet with even curved edge over medium high heat until hot. Lay the prawns; flesh down, against the curved sides of the pan, tails up and heads toward the center of the pan. Press them down with spatula or rest a slightly smaller pan on top of the prawns as a weight, so they cook evenly and rapidly. This will give them a gently curled shape. Cook until they begin to turn pink around the edges, about 2 minutes. Place the pan in the oven until the prawns are evenly pink, about 2 minutes longer.

Cut the skin and white pith off all the citrus fruits and segment the fruits over a bowl to catch the segments and juices. Season with the salt and pepper and add the remaining 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Toss well, taste for balance and reserve.

To serve, place 1/4 of the watercress on 4 plates. Toss the citrus mixture again and spoon around and over the watercress, moistening with juices. Arrange 3 prawns around each salad, standing them in a circle, tails up, and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.