There are times when a recipe calls for certain ingredients and you have to improvise because you don’t have them available. That was the case here. The original recipe called for lemon and butter, which we replaced with neutral oil and orange juice. And we ended up with orange garlic prawns!
There are times when a recipe calls for certain ingredients and you have to improvise because you don’t have them available. The original recipe called for lemon and butter, which we replaced with neutral oil and orange juice.
We wanted to eat something different, but we didn’t want to go to a restaurant and get served an overpriced plate of disappointment, as has been the trend with many restaurants lately. So, Rukky (@rukkyambursa) and I decided to cook some couscous and garlic prawns. We were surprised at how quick and easy it was. I know a lot of people are skeptical about couscous, but trust me when I say this couscous is the actual bomb.
This delicious combination of prawns and couscous is about to knock your socks off! It’s quick and easy and perfect for dinner.
In this recipe, prawns are sautéed in garlic oil, then tossed in a sweet orange chili sauce, and sprinkled with parsley. The couscous is lightly toasted and then soaked in hot broth and olive oil before being topped with fresh herbs.
The secret in this sauce was the paprika! I learnt the hard way that too much paprika leads to bitterness in any dish, so be careful with the paprika. Maybe 1/2 teaspoon at a time.
The key to cooking your prawns right…
The key to not overcooking your tiger prawns is to cook them for 2-3 minutes on medium to high heat on each side. It also helps to cook them in their shell, as that protects the meat. Another key thing that could help is the colour, once you see the prawns turning pink or opaque then it’s time to flip or turn off the heat, depending on the side you’re cooking. Lastly clean and devein your prawns and leave them to sit at room temperature before cooking. Over-cooking shrimp or prawns leads to a chewy texture, and no one wants that.
Pro-tip on getting your couscous right:
Toast your couscous before you cook them. This little trick does wonders and enhances the flavour as well.
INGREDIENTS LIST
Couscous
- 1 pack couscous
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Parsley (chopped)
- Spring onions (chopped)
- Chicken broth (I used chicken broth diluted with water)
Prawns
- 1kg tiger prawns
- 1/2 head of garlic (chopped)
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Parsley (chopped)
- Neutral oil
Orange chilli sauce
- 2 medium-sized oranges (juiced)
- Paprika
- Crushed Chili
- 2 medium scallions (chopped)
- 1 Tsp cornflour
- Orange zest
- 1 Tsp white vinegar
- 1 seasoning cube
- 2 cups of water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Servings: 4-5 people.
How to make orange garlic prawns:
- In a saucepan, combine orange juice, scallions, seasoning, paprika, chilli, orange zest, white vinegar, sugar, salt and water. Give it a nice stir and leave it to boil for about 5 mins.
- After 5 mins, add a bit of water to your corn flour and add the mixture to your sauce. Then leave the sauce to reduce for an extra 4-5 mins. You can add extra water depending on how thick you want your sauce to be.
- While your sauce is reducing, season your prawns with a dash of salt and black pepper (be careful with the salt as seafood is generally salty on its own). Then add some oil to a frying pan, put in your garlic and then your prawns.
- Fry the prawns for 45 secs and flip. Then cover the pan for 2-3 mins. Then flip again and leave to fry for an extra 2 mins.
- Turn off the heat and pour your orange sauce over the prawns. Then add some chopped parsley and toss together. Finish off with an extra sprinkle of parsley.
How to make herbed couscous
- Dilute your broth and bring it to a boil. Be sure to taste that the salt is enough.
- While your broth is boiling, add a bit of oil to a pan and toast couscous for about 2 mins, just until it’s lightly browned.
- Then pour hot broth over your couscous. Just enough to cover the couscous. Not too much.
- Then add olive oil. Making sure to spread it all around.
- Then cover your couscous for 3 mins.
- After 3 mins, fluff your couscous with a fork and add in your chopped parsley and spring onions
Please let me know if you try out this recipe.
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