I love dinners like this that you can eat with just a spoon, and am going through a bean phase, using up a stock of Navarrico haricot beans from the cafe. If you can get hold of them do - they are the best beans ever. This is a really quick and easy dish - don't be put off by making fresh mayonnaise, once you've done it a couple of times it is the fastest thing ever, you can just make enough for 1 or 2 meals and it is such a lovely thing. And if you want to use cooked prawns just stir them in at the end of the recipe to warm through.
Ingredients for 2:
300g baby plum tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
1 egg yolk
1/2 small clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp dijon mustard
Juice of half a fresh lemon
80g oil, all vegetable or a mix of vegetable oil and rapeseed oil for colour
1 handful of soft herbs - finely chopped (parsley/basil/chervil/chives/mint - any mix)
200g raw tiger prawns
2 tbsp olive oil
1 banana shallot, finely chopped
200g bunch chard, leaves roughly shredded, stalks washed and sliced
4 tsp n'duja paste (about 20g)
50ml white wine
1 x 400g tin white beans, drained (butter beans/haricot/cannellini)
An hour or so before dinner heat the oven to 170 fan. Cut the tomatoes in half and lay them cut side up on a baking tray, season with salt and pepper and drizzle on a little olive oil then roast for about 60 minutes until semi-dried and caramelised round the edges.
Make the mayonnaise by whisking the egg yolk, garlic, dijon and one teaspoon of the lemon juice with a pinch of salt then slowly adding the oil to emulsify while whisking constantly. Stir through the chopped herbs and refrigerate until needed.
If necessary prepare the prawns by removing the heads and peeling off the shells. I leave the end of the tail shell on as it looks nice and adds a bit of crunch. Then de-vein if you're the sort of person that bothers, which I am! Heat the olive oil in a largeish lidded sautee pan over a medium heat and fry the prawns for about 20 seconds on each side then remove to a plate using a slotted spoon.
Now lower the heat a bit and add the shallot and chard stalks. Season with salt and sautee for a minute to soften then add the n'duja and stir to warm through. Pour on the wine, increase the heat and let it bubble for a minute or so to reduce a bit. Pile on the chard leaves and beans, season with salt and pepper and toss together then clamp on the lid, turn the heat down to low, and leave to cook for 4 or 5 minutes. Remove the lid, stir the prawns back through along with the rest of the lemon juice, taste and adjust the seasoning. It should be sweet and spicy with a bit of citrus zing. Continue cooking with the prawns in for 30 seconds but no more - just to warm the prawns through.
Pile into bowls, scatter over the roast tomatoes and serve with a big dollop of the herb aioli.
PS: Leftover tomatoes and aioli will be awesome in a sandwich tomorrow!
So so good
thank you!